HealthAugust 23, 2026

intersectionality

in-ter-sek-shuh-NAL-i-tee

Definition

The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.

Etymology

The term was coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. It combines the prefix 'inter-' (between) and 'section' (from the Latin 'sectio', meaning a cutting), reflecting how multiple social identities cross and interact.

In the news

The article uses this term to explain how various forms of prejudice—such as homophobia, transphobia, and misogynoir—work together to marginalize specific groups within the Black church, thereby fueling the HIV epidemic.

The Black Church can’t fight HIV without confronting its pas...

Read the full article ↗

AFRO News

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