Why Borders Matter by Frank Furedi

Author:Frank Furedi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2021-04-15T00:00:00+00:00

Once people’s intimate lives became subject to political calculations, identity itself could become an issue. In this instance, the unravelling of the boundary between the two spheres of life meant that it became difficult to separate the views held by an individual from their identity as a person. By the turn of the 21st century, advocates of identity politics would come to regard criticisms of their opinions as a direct attack on their persona. Back in the late 1990s, Elshtain explained this development in the following terms:

Intimate life is pervaded by politics; private life becomes a recommendation or authentication of one’s political stance. It follows further that the ante gets upped in political contestation because to argue against a position is to challenge someone’s “private” or personal identity.26

When one’s identity becomes meshed with one’s political views, there is little scope for argument about contrasting opinions. Those who question an individual’s viewpoint can be perceived as a threat to their very sense of self. In more extreme cases, those who are seriously invested in their political identity can and do experience criticism as a threat to their psychic existence. Some groups have adopted the tactic of attempting to gain sympathy by drawing attention to the life-threatening harm caused by those who question their identity. The use of the term ‘deadnaming’ by promoters of trans culture is exemplary in this respect. Deadnaming occurs when a person, intentionally or by mistake, calls someone who is transgender by the name they used before they transitioned. It is claimed that deadnaming effectively invalidates the identity of an individual and thereby causes significant psychological harm.27

Identity politics personalises public engagement to the point that differences of views become difficult to express ‘out loud’. Individuals who begin their statement at a public meeting with the words ‘speaking as a woman’ or ‘from my perspective as a gay man’ subliminally warn the audience that any challenge to their point of view will be viewed as an attack on their identity as a woman or a gay man. Such criticism is more likely to be met with an outburst of indignation than with a counter argument. When US Congress Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi criticised four young Congresswomen, she was attacked by one of them, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes, for singling out ‘newly elected women of color’.28 Ocasio-Cortes could have drawn attention to her radical politics as the focus of political conflict, but instead chose to highlight her identity to legitimate her stance.

In its more radical forms, identity politics erases entirely the line separating a person and an opinion. Someone who criticises a view put forward by a woman can expect to be denounced for their ‘toxic masculinity’ or ‘male attitude’. People who question the practice of the gender reassignment for children are accused of transphobia. Question someone who complains that their anger is not recognised or validated, and you may be accused of possessing white attitudes. Transgender activists frequently use their identity as a political weapon, accusing those who question their views as propagators of hate.

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