- The term was first created by feminist scholarship in the 1980s, but seems to have gained a lot of popularity in the past few years. This surge in popularity might be motivated by a desire to distinguish oneself from other less sincere or dedicated feminists, in an age where many celebrities and companies rush in to broadcast to the world about them being feminists. “Intersectional” feminists would look at the intersection of one’s background, and when trying to understand their experience take into consideration the compounding effect of being, for example, both black and a woman, because they believe that considering only one specific intersection isn’t close to enough.
intersectionality
derivation; noun
The intersection as well as the connected nature of different aspects of one’s identity and background including gender, race, nationality that contributes to one’s experience.
Etymology : Derivation of “intersectional” with affix “-ity”
Source : “When you claim to be a feminist, you cannot just pick an intersectionality, (in this case, gender) and run with it. You have to take responsibility for the intersectionalities you are overlooking, unlearn your biases, then learn how you can be an ally.” Medium blog post. Sep 2019.
Last modified: 26 November 2020