Huddle Up: WEDGE ISSUES

[2banon]

31. I have a question wrt Identity Politics

You said:

My sexuality is my identity,

My daughter and daughter-inlaw who are married (and who blessed me with two beautiful granddaughters) are Lesbians. Naturally there is great deal of attention paid by everyone in my family as to discriminating practices and policies locally & nationally and cultural attitudes and it matters politically.

But other policies matter a great deal as well. It happens they are both professional educators in the community and both held in high esteem/regard among their professional peers. They are also active in other realms within the community and internationally, specifically Holland.

I mention all that to say that their sexual orientation does not represent their entire life, or their entire person(s). They're involved daily with a very diverse community professionally and socially in their personal lives.

My entire family (beyond my daughters' family) actually represents so many different levels of socio-cultural "identities" the cliche of "melting pot" certainly applies. And yet politically, my entire family is all over the map. My daughter in law is a bit conservative but a registered Democrat,.. My daughter leans more left and is a Bernie supporter as can be deduced from her fb, but I'm the one considered a "radical Leftist" in the family.. (won't go into all the others in my family)

No one in the family engages on the level of Identity Politics, including PoC members in my family, which I guess is why I don't understand why other people say 'this is my identity', with regard to their Race, Gender, Sexual Preference/Orientation.

For instance, I'm an old Feminist but HRC, Dianne Feinstein, Margaret Thatcher, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann do not represent me or my interests. But Identity Politics would dictate otherwise. So I'm a bit baffled by it when I see and hear others discuss their political issues and concerns or choice of candidates on that level essentially to the exclusion (it seems to me) of other matters of concern. And I wonder if you wouldn't mind illuminating why that is the case.

I'm sorry this turned into such a long winded question. if you have the time to explain, maybe I'd learn something I hadn't considered before now.