Abstract
This paper engages the unspoken fourth dimension of intersectionality—time. Using the construction of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) identities as an example, it establishes that identity, as it is lived and experienced, is not only multivalent, but also historically contingent. It then raises a number of points regarding the temporal locality of identity—the influence of time on issues of identity and understanding, its implications for legal interventions, social movement building, and paradigms of progressive change. As the title suggests, the paper asks us to consider the frame of identity over time.
Highlights
For over twenty years, the prism of intersectionality has enhanced our understanding of identity; allowing us to visualize and untangle multiple double binds, as we begin to “map the margins” [1]
In the case of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) identities, the rapid pace of social, political and legal change has demonstrated a second truism about identity that adds a fourth dimension to the intersection
Historical contingency requires many backwards glances, but it can inform our understanding of the present and our plans for the future
Summary
The prism of intersectionality has enhanced our understanding of identity; allowing us to visualize and untangle multiple double binds, as we begin to “map the margins” [1]. The compelling three-dimensional metaphor of a traffic intersection successfully reduces even the most complex iteration of self to a common everyday experience. Take for example, a man who has sex with men He may stand at the intersection of multiple and potentially conflicting identities, he occupies a specific moment in time—the fourth dimension of intersectionality. How he will be seen (or not) by others will vary greatly depending on whether the time stamp on the intersection reads 1953, or 1973 or 2013. The final section discusses the ways in which historical contingency can both enhance and complicate our understanding of identity, subordination, social movements, and progressive change
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
