Rec Ramble Discusses Intersectionality
In commemoration of Latinx and LGBTQ+ History Month, hosts Max and Sara dedicated Episode 2 of Season 3 to discuss the importance of intersectionality with special guest Maria Moreno. As a grad student working in higher education at CSU, Maria gave valuable insight to help start a conversation about the topic.
Maria spoke about her own experiences with intersectionality and how she came to understand its significance by her enrollment at the University of Georgia. As she came to learn through her women’s studies courses, the term refers to the marginalized identities of an individual and how they create a unique avenue of systemic disadvantage. Being one of the only queer Latinas that she knew of at the university, her own intersecting identities gave her a lens to understand its complexity. She speaks about how being a role model and mentor to others potentially holds different value for different identities in different settings.
“I really understood what it meant to be Latina in the context of a predominantly white institution,” she explains. “That identity has more salience when it’s not as common.”
Maria currently works as an Assistant Resident Director and is proud to be an example to those who carry similar identities. She accredits this responsibility to one of the main reasons she chose to pursue her career path in higher ed.
Carrying multiple marginalized identities while achieving success, she says, is something that goes deeper than the celebrations that come with Latinx/LGBTQ+ history months.
“I’m existing in places that weren’t necessarily meant for me, and that’s a celebration within itself.” ⏤MM
It’s important that the Rec, being one puzzle piece in the whole of CSU campus continues to have these conversations. Being intentional about inclusivity means asking who is in this space, who is not, and what we can do to make everyone feel comfortable. The hosts discuss this in relation to people with disabilities at the Rec, microaggressions, and how privilege shows up in different spaces.
“People are here in this space which means intersectionality exists, and these aspects of athletics need to be talked about more,” says Maria.
Stream the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major streaming platforms.
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