Sick of everything being about identity

[CalmMooCowNibbles]

Everything seems to be about identity nowadays in Britain. Ethnicity, gender, religion. AIBU? or is anyone else feeling this way? Is this this just life now? Makes me want to run off to Greece and live out the rest of my days in some remote mountain

Agree. People elsewhere watch all this fuss about men in womens sports utterly appalled and horrified. Anglophone countries used to be the place to be.... not anymore

Can't comment on the rest of the anglosphere but, here in Britain, we focus on all that other stuff so we don't have to address class and what a fucking shit deal the working class have had because the middle class think they've more in common with the folk above than the folk below.

Non binary I imagine

You are reading to much shit online. I don't know anyone who talks at length about this, only bigoted people or virtue signallers. I don't have time for anyone at either end of the arguement.

I wonder if we were to count up the number of your posts on the sex and gender board what that would tell us about how much identity features in your life. 🤔

Divide and conquer?

it really isn't.

Presumably the OP’s DH is Greek man. He doesn’t identify as Greek or a man

Exactly this, it's only on the Internet that this stuff is made a big deal and maybe in 12 year olds heads who spend to much time on the Internet. Out here in the real world it's not such a thing

Oh the op has had a crap end to the week and is in an illogical grump!

This simply is not true. Britain is leading the world in the success of our push back against all this shit. Feminists in other countries look at us for hope and inspiration.

Things are a lot worse in a lot of other countries.

I believe it is promoted by the populist media and politicians as a shift away from community and towards the individual.

A good example is how the trans debate has taken over everything else for some mumsnetters.

Identity politics began as a tool for liberation but has been taken over by the elite. It now often emphasises individual recognition over collective struggle, for example, mumsetters who would choose a right wing representative as the party ‘protects women’ despite the party not protecting the poorest, when its women who suffer the most in poverty. Capitalism benefits by commodifying identity and turning it into a personal brand.

This shift towards the focus of the individual fragments solidarity and weakens movements aimed at systemic change.

What are made up identities?
One might pose that religion is made up too. Being born on a particular island makes it a “real” identity?
People can and have always identified themselves by various categories “real” or otherwise. In-groups and out-groups in society are all driven by identity. Teacher, millennial, vegan, Tory, West Ham supporter, smoker, doctor, singer, mother, baker, runner, who’s to say which are “real” or made up?

No, surely it’s a nationality?

I do get what you mean a little bit

I'd love to just watch a show without any preachy lessons 🙄🙄 (looking at you, seasons 1&2 of And Just Like That - haven't seen s3 yet but I expect more of the same 😒)

Can I ask your identity?

YANBU I agree- it’s everywhere!

I remember the days when your identity was about you as a person, what made you...you. Your strengths and weaknesses, your personality.

Pretty certain OPs identity would become important if she moved to Greece.

Still applies
at least in my life

This.
The left wing has abandoned a traditional focus on wealth re-distribution and economic justice, in favour of identity politics.
This is especially true for the Democrats in the USA.
They keep banging on about identity because it means they can still be "the good people" whilst hanging on to their wealth and keeping taxes low.

Meanwhile the US right wing is keeoing things simple by simply deporting all " foreigners".

I doubt the OP means this as a thread about wealth distribution though.

You are close to understanding, but I think the "trans" issue is clouding your line of thinking.

I believe it is promoted by the populist media and politicians as a shift away from community and towards the individual.
Agree.

A good example is how the trans debate has taken over everything else for some mumsnetters.
No, this is a very bad example. The concern of many women on MN is to protect their rights as females, not to signal their identity or individuality as women.

Identity politics began as a tool for liberation but has been taken over by the elite.
Specifically, the elite left - so they can be "the good people" and virtue-signal about protecting minorities whilst still keeping taxes low.

It now often emphasises individual recognition over collective struggle
Usually the opposite: those who claim a special "identity" like to join a collective struggle for rights and recognition (a very valid thing to do if they have been denied rights historically).
The collective struggle that has been abandoned is class-based justice for workers and the poor.

for example, mumsetters who would choose a right wing representative as the party ‘protects women’ despite the party not protecting the poorest, when its women who suffer the most in poverty.
As above, this is a poor example. Your thinking is muddled. It is necessary to be able to define what a woman is before looking at how many women are in poverty, so the priority has to be protecting the legal status "woman".

Capitalism benefits by commodifying identity and turning it into a personal brand.
Agree.

This shift towards the focus of the individual fragments solidarity and weakens movements aimed at systemic change.
Agree. But as I said above, many people who have an "identity" do so for political purposes, to increase solidarity and effect systemic change.
e.g. identifying as disabled.

I don’t identify as female. I am female.
I don’t identify as white. I am white.
I don’t identify as heterosexual. I am heterosexual.

i don’t know where it has come from, this idea that just saying ‘I identify as …XYZ’ means I should be treated as if I actually am XYZ. Is it something that has come out of post-modernism, a belief that there is no objective reality - only our perceptions of reality? And now perceptions seem to be as significant as material reality?

No, he is a conveniently amorphous, non-identifying creature from the mountains. 😀