Queer Lockdown: Coming to Terms with the Ongoing Criminalization of LGBTQ Communities
Activists have long engaged in a wide range of worthwhile initiatives
in pursuit of social justice. However, it is less common that activist
groups articulate and utilize a philosophical and strategic approach
that integrates organizing across issues. A case in point is the
concerns of low-income queer[1]
people, who have been profoundly affected
by the criminal justice system. In this paper, I argue that a more
integrated, comprehensive approach to the pursuit of social justice for
low-income queer people would enable activist scholars to expand on a
tradition of articulating a comprehensive vision that encompasses the
true needs of the most disenfranchised and broadens the larger discourse
around civil and human rights.
Any analysis that seeks to encompass a conceptual understanding of
how socially constructed categories of oppression exact a toll on the
most marginalized finds its root in the theory of "intersectionality."
This theory[2]
posits that socially constructed categories interact on
various levels to manifest as social (and political) inequality.
Traditionally conceived modes of oppression, such as gender, race,
class, and sexual orientation and identity, do not act independently of
one another but rather interrelate and ultimately create systematic
discrimination for those with multiple identities.
Today, the principles developed in theories of intersectionality are
especially relevant and in need of being incorporated into coalition
building within social justice movements.[3]
Activists have not, on the
whole, been effective in setting forth a political agenda in a way that
puts the theory to practical use (as part of their respective
mandates).[4]
The great difficulty in rights-based organizing arises from the
inherent—and conflicting—agendas and priorities within these movements.
Many organizations that offer a theoretical vision of universal human
rights remain focused on single-issue advocacy and miss opportunities to
educate about connections between policies and social trends outside of
their respective bailiwicks; one such missed opportunity is the issue of
incarceration. As I outline here, scholars and advocates would benefit
from taking a closer look at the impact of mass incarceration, which
marginalizes communities lacking in political power but can also provide
fertile ground for organizing and reconciliation among them.
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