Interesting quote from David French, director of “How to Survive a Plague”, commenting on why today’s LGBT generation might be less radical about their political fight: “Hasn’t all identity politics hit a wall? Feminism as identity politics is nothing like it was in the ’70s and ’80s, the way we talk about race is all kind of blurred now. I don’t know how to describe the period we’re in, but it’s post-identity politics.”
Post-identity politics. As a woman, I would agree with this statement, especially the part referring to feminism. My question is, would this be a positive development–a sign that there is less discrimination for these various groups to worry about? Or does it simply mean that people are not speaking out as much about the problems which are still in existence? After all, these days when you draw attention to racist innuendo against the President you’re playing the “race card”. If you argue too loudly for women’s rights, you are an angry feminist requesting special birth control perks from the government.
I think it’s obvious that the undercurrent of bigotry is still there. Witness the 2012 election, with its food stamps race-baiting and the male politicians fixating on women’s health, the angry red staters arming themselves to the teeth because that African guy got re-elected. Perhaps the real issue is that the way talk about all this is, as French said, “blurred”. Maybe we shouldn’t be afraid of playing our cards and stating our identities, and shouldn’t be in such a hurry to be post-everything.
eurobrat 
01/16/2013 at 6:10 am
There is definitely a long way to go. I think activism in general took a few decades off starting with Reagan. Thanks to the extreme conservatism of the right, as well as a shift to the right by the “liberal” Democrats, people are starting to push back again. Activism has started a new resurgence, possibly spurred on by OWS.
01/16/2013 at 7:00 pm
That is true. I am seeing ads on the train for Occupy Portland and their plans for Year Two of action, so I’m excited about that 🙂
01/16/2013 at 5:42 pm
I recall identity politics as a set of assumptions that peaked in the 1980s; various discrete groups focused on a single oppression–sex, race, class, ability, etc.–and insisted on a single “correct” analysis of power, along with a set of strategies to confront it. In hindsight, the resulting splintering of the left into distinct groups, each fighting their individual battles, permitted the right–hierarchical and marching in lockstep–to gain power almost unopposed during the Reagan era.
So yeah, I’d say it’s a positive development that today’s concepts of intersectionality and kyriarchy allow people to both analyze society more deeply and to transcend identity, yet at the same time maintaining their grounding in identity; while popular movements like Occupy provide a common language everybody can understand, allowing distinct groups to come together and break apart at will, acting with unity or independently as they choose.
01/16/2013 at 7:03 pm
Hmmm, that is very interesting analysis and it makes the post-identity phenomenon appear to be a more positive process. I suppose that as long as we are clear–as opposed to “blurry” and tentative–about the goals we want to achieve, we’ll be fine. Thanks for that.
01/17/2013 at 9:56 pm
I’d say, again, follow the money. On an individual basis we have a bazillion more choices than in the 80’s. There’s a greater diversity of jobs, we can communicate with anyone on the planet at any time for what’s basically free and we can find groups of likeminded folk in seconds. The point being that a lot of what we struggled for in the 80’s, equality and acceptance, if we haven’t achieved it then we can in many respects bypass it. White folk, white males, which I’m a part of, our influence and voting power, as just demonstrated by the demolishing of Mitt Romney, ain’t what it used to be – not that we/they’re going away quietly – but the nation has become more than diverse enough to blunt the collective need to get out there and collectively demonstrate. Don’t like yer job, feeling oppressed? Fuck it, go start an internet company. Or self-publish. Or start a blog for everyone to read. Or read someone else’s. Outlets, outlets are everywhere.
Alternatively, the nations economics have become so strained on an individual level, and laws have become so unbalanced in favor of an employer, that most of us just worry about making ends meet, so the idea of doing something overtly political also threatens our employment, our credit rating, our ability to pay rent.
Thus, myriad outlets and the threat of financial disaster, in my uneducated opinion, also contribute the a general malaise regarding collective efforts about identity politics. Yah, could be wrong.
01/19/2013 at 6:48 pm
I do agree that there is a multitude of outlets where one can express any and every opinion one wishes…but I don’t think those outlets necessarily give us any influence over the power structure in our society. The irony is that I can say anything I want to, but it won’t really present any challenge to those in authority. Hence your second point, the lopsided amount of power by corporations and employers, which means that people will bitch about the way things are, but for the most part will not take any real action as that may threaten their livelihood. So, I don’t know. We’re more free and yet we’re not. Same difference?
01/21/2013 at 1:53 pm
naw, you or me saying something doesn’t necessarily mean zip, but if we say it in conjunction with others on a day to day, localized level, we begin to push up towards larger, stonger conversations across the country. the religious right nailed that long before internet. all i’m saying is that we have access to these things, voices to join (or create) that we didn’t necessarily have a decade or so ago. not bad at all. plus we have more economic opportunity on a small scale which means less personal aggravation, less genuflecting to some kind of fake ‘family values’ or societal norm to be enforeced that never really existed, but for which a lot of us got fired, hanged, marginalized or fucked. the great collective policing of the unknown.
of which, russia is legally fucking over gay russians. jew, gypsies, witches, blacks, mexicans next! doesn’t this shit ever end? the answer is NO. i’m working on an art series called the Proletariat Timeline of Human History. it ends badly for most everyone. go figure, eh?
01/22/2013 at 9:12 pm
Russia has always been that way–their political system may change, but Russia doesn’t change.
Your new art project sounds really cool…and very realistic 😉