I agree with "liberals" that we need universal health care, free education and immigration reform that opens our borders. I agree with those who want a dismantling of U.S. militarization across the globe. But I don't agree with "liberals" about abortion, gay marriage, birth control, or the type of sex education being taught in public schools. Basically, anything to do with "reproductive health," I don't believe is actual health care. It's just not.
Supposedly the Green Party is "liberal," but I don't have to define myself as liberal to be a member. The Green Party's platform is pro-LGBT, but I don't have to agree. It would be abnormal for no-one within any given political party to not have some dissenters within its ranks. I agree with the Green platform on a majority of issues. I don't have to agree with it all in order to vote Green.
Environmentalism, anti-racism, anti-war, participatory and grassroots democracy, social justice, food justice, immigration justice, are all part of the Green Party's objectives. The only points I disagree with are those concerning sexuality. That's not enough for me to disavow my party. There is no perfect political party. Not for me, anyway. I used to let my politics define me. No longer. Because I have realized for some time now that I don't fit into a neat and tidy box. Not having a box doesn't bother me.
Identity politics wasn't always so much in the forefront of the national scene; nowadays you can't escape it. Well, I didn't always pay that much attention to the news and political forums, so perhaps this national identity crisis isn't that new. But it does seem to have reached a very aggressive point. If you don't have an affinity group, go home and beat your head against the wall until you come up with one. That seems to be the message.
Typing in "neither liberal nor conservative" brings up forums on which there are people asking "what am I?" Is it so vital to your existence that you are made up of nothing but the content of your political views? I wonder if our society as a whole is suffering from some sort of spiritual emptiness and technological overload. I say technological overload, because it is social media in particular that has enabled identity politics to mushroom.
I recently attended an adoption camp for families who have adopted children of color. We were invited to the camp because we placed our daughter with an adoptive family, and my husband was asked to speak. At each dinner, there were special tables set aside for "affinity groups," also known there as "oppressed groups." I felt odd about that; are we so fragile in our sense of being and character that we must sit with only people who share our experience in this particular area of our lives? Do we really need that kind of victimhood? We aren't "oppressed" because we are birthparents, just because birthparents happen to be in the minority.
I agree that race is important to talk about, because racism is very real. But other forms of identity, particularly sexuality, are superfluous to my mind. To identify oneself first by one's sexuality in my opinion is inappropriate to say the least. But I would be accused of sex-shaming in this "body-positive" society we live in. Sexuality should be a private matter, but the LGBT community and other liberals plaster the proverbial walls with it. And if you don't like it, you can leave, say they. Sounds an awful lot like the conservatives who say to those of us who criticize the government, if you don't like it, you can leave.
I dream of the day when people are just people, and all these labels are set aside in favor of peace and harmony as citizens of the world.
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