SEXTANT: masculinities, sexualities & decolonialities

ABSTRACT

This presentation analyses the multifaceted concept of intersectionality, tracing its origins from Black feminist thought to its contemporary applications and challenges. This comes at a time when the intersectionality of hate is being strongly expressed. It highlights how intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, emerged and finds its own paths in multiple regions of the world to address the compounded discrimination faced by Black women due to intersecting racial and gender oppressions, moving beyond singular categories of analysis. The text discusses the concept’s journey from marginal academic discourse to global recognition and its subsequent institutionalisation within human rights frameworks. It also critically examines the risks of decontextualisation and neutralisation when the concept is adopted without its original political and activist intent. Viveros-Vigoya shows how intersectionality illuminates complex social realities by considering the interplay of race, class, gender, and other inequality  markers. The author emphasises that intersectionality is not merely an additive model of oppression but a dynamic tool for understanding power relations and advocating for social justice, particularly in contexts where narratives like mestizaje have historically obscured systemic inequalities. Ultimately, the author argues for reclaiming intersectionality as a vital political instrument in ongoing struggles against various forms of discrimination.

KEY WOrDS

intersectionality, decoloniality, Latin America, Amefrica Ladina

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.