Reflections on Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a concept that deserves more focus in every context possible, and I don’t have a great explanation for why it is so often overlooked. Perhaps the history of the word itself gives a glimpse into why so many people haven’t even heard the word. Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term intersectionality in 1989 to describe experiencing multiple, simultaneous prejudices - in her case being female and Black. So perhaps the specific intersectionality of the creator of the word intersectionality explains the limited acknowledgement of the impact of intersectionality. 

Or maybe there are more discussions of intersectionality than I realize. Sometimes I wonder if the fact that I am a cishet (cisgender heterosexual) white man means I am not privy to many of those discussions. I’m not saying that I think people in my circles avoid talking to me about this important issue. I think people who know me see me as someone who will readily engage in challenging conversations, and I find that to be one of my favorite methods of personal growth. 

What I mean when I say I wonder is that I wonder if the algorithms that control so much of the world’s flow of information simply do not feed existing conversations to me. I am absolutely not a tech expert, and much to the chagrin of at least one autistic adolescent client, I don’t even like technology that much. But I do understand enough to know that these algorithms (whatever an algorithm is?!?) exist, and there are very few facets of our online life that aren't controlled or heavily influenced by algorithms. 

If you are thinking that what I am doing is giving you evidence that I do not search for this type of content, you would be wrong. I am more likely to read social media posts by creators whose intersectionality is made up of multiple marginalized identities. When I notice the algorithm isn’t feeding me content from various intersections, I search for it. I especially seek out marginalized positions when a big event shows up in the news in order to get perspectives that are less likely to be seen and heard.

Why Intersectionality?

So why am I taking the time today to write about intersectionality? I think hearing and attempting to understand multiply-marginalized voices is such a vital part of advocacy, but it is an important part of all the work I do as a clinician, consultant, speaker, and more.

First, I want to talk about how I conceptualize intersectionality because I often think and speak in visual terms. I picture each identity in the discussion as a street, and the intersectionality being discussed is the intersection of the streets. There are some streets that alone have a reputation for being unfavorable, so the places where those two streets cross is seen as especially undesirable. Where a less than favorable street crosses a more favorable one, a person may use some caution, but it is still seen as the preferred place to cross the bad street.

While this image works well with two identities, it gets more difficult as we add more because it is harder for us to imagine 4 or 5 streets crossing at one point. However, most people carry more than two identities, so I think it is important that we have this discussion. Earlier, I identified myself as a cishet white man, and our society sees all four of those identities in a favorable manner. If I added that I am also financially in the middle class, many people would begin to acknowledge that I exist at an intersection of privilege in our society. However, I also identify as multiply neurodivergent with identities of autism, adhd, a reading disability, and a tic, and those intersections shift me a bit outside of the one I was first assumed to be within. Being lower support needs, even people who know me easily overlook the challenging aspect of my intersectionality.

For the sake of discussion, let’s look at a hypothetical person whose intersectionality looks a little different than mine. Imagine an autistic white lesbian cis-woman of similar financial status who is also a Clinical Social Worker in private practice. The primary differences between this woman and myself are gender and sexual orientation. However, the intersection of being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and female put this person into a marginalized position.

Finally, consider an autistic Black trans woman who is unable to maintain consistent employment due to progressing cerebral palsy, and she experiences food and housing insecurity, depression, and chronic thoughts of unaliving herself. Didn’t you just picture someone on the fringe of society? If these identities were city streets, would you stop at the stop sign at the intersection, or would you double check your locks as you do a rolling stop? Or perhaps you know that isn’t a part of the city you would ever go near, so you don’t have to concern yourself with how you would handle it.

People who live in these parts of a city don’t have much voice in society, and people whose lived experiences are of intersectionality like this also don’t have much voice in society. But these are important voices. All voices are important voices, and it’s crucial for us to take time to intentionally listen to those whose experiences are different than our own. 

Neurodivergence and Invisible Disabilities

Discussions of intersectionality must include neurodivergence and disabilities, especially invisible disabilities. When people have the capability of hiding their disabilities, they are able to drop a reason for someone else to hold a prejudice against them, and they can more easily blend into society. 

They mask. They camouflage. They can pass. 

We mask. We camouflage. We can pass.

I mask. I camouflage. I can pass.

But at what cost? And how often is a person in this position because they have to hide their disability or marginalized identity to survive? How often do people face a choice between authenticity or acceptance?

When we understand intersectionality, we see more spaces where a person may feel pain.

I am going to finish this post by returning to my reflection towards the beginning. I don’t think there are more discussions of intersectionality than I realize. I think they are happening in the spaces where people recognize the reality of intersectionality, and I don’t think they are happening enough in many spaces that desperately need them.


No matter your setting, intersectionality needs to be considered and discussed in an honest manner. There is a place for it in clinical work, education, policy, corporate world, and everywhere else. People deserve it.

-Sam Marion, MSW, LCSW

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