Tag Archives: homosexuals

Identity politics happens when members of an explicit subgroup get together in order to affect political or social change. Identity politics is not limited to the major racial or gender divisions, but extends into sexual orientation, ethnicity, citizenship status and other instances where a specific group feels persecuted. Homosexuals could organize political rallies to have stronger hate crime laws created or allow same-sex partners to qualify for marital benefits.

By identifying himself or herself as an African-American or a homosexual or a feminist, a person could focus his or her energy on a specific political cause.  Under the focused umbrella of identity politics, such a compromise would have been much more difficult to achieve. This is why many organized minority political groups have largely abandoned the identity politics model for a more comprehensive approach to common goals. 

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