Intersectional invisibility refers to the ways identities we hold can combine to make it less likely that people recognize our experiences and needs.

If we do not have any information, most people will imagine a “standard person” as being a White Heterosexual Male. These are the experiences and values that are the focus of most of the stories in the United States. They are considered our leaders, they are seen as central, their needs are prioritized, and as a result, they tend to be our default person in our imagination.

The further away one is from that default person norm, the less likely their story, experiences and values will be reflected or prioritized in policies, laws, education, etc.

To demonstrate how this works,

We can think of dozens of White, cisgender, heterosexual men that are featured in society. We know their stories, they are the ideals of what success looks like in the United States, they are seen as important and worthy.

We can do the same for White women, but probably could name a relatively smaller number that are the focus, and there is less variability in their stories.

Let’s make another twist. How many Queer Black men are central in our national stories? How many of them do you know (particularly if you have not been specialized in this area)? How many of their stories are a focus of popular media?

And let’s take one more twist. How many Queer women of color are a focus in our society? Are their stories frequently covered so that the full diversity of their experiences are normalized and humanized? I am guessing that for most of you, the answer is no.

This is the essence of intersectional invisibility. Individuals are erased. Their stories seem strange, and because they are not prioritized, we don’t know their stories and do not know their challenges.

They’re invisible…

Imagine how this affects our advocacy work with others. We might feel very familiar with the needs of particular types of crime victims because they have been talked about in our trainings, we hear their stories in the media. There may even been tv shows and movies that focus on their experiences. But what happens for other types of crime victims that are not reflected in our trainings, media, TV shows, and movies? If we are less familiar with crime victims in immigrant communities, with Transgender Asian men’s experiences with victimization, then we may not know what questions to ask, services are needed, and help that could be provided. This is the danger of intersectional invisibility. It creates limitations in our knowledge and challenges our ability to connect and meet the needs of those around us.

To work against the effects of intersectional invisibility, we have to work harder to understanding of the kinds of challenges members of a group face; to understand if and how those challenges impact a particular individual; and understand how to have caring, empathetic conversations that invite individuals to share difficult information. We also have to recognize the limitations of our current knowledge and resist the tendency to move forward as if the person’s experience will be similar to what we’re already familiar with.

For example, working with many crime victims following a home invasion may not fully prepare you to understand the concerns and needs of a Transgender Asian man who has just experienced a home invasion. There will likely be things that you already understand and new pieces to consider. For example, they may have concerns that the home invasion was motivated by transphobic or racial hatred, the home invasion may have interfered with their ability to access hormone treatments, or their ability to find a new place to live may be complicated by concerns about whether or not they will be accepted and safe as a Transgender Asian man in a particular apartment complex.

In summary, intersectional invisibility refers to the many ways people’s experiences are overlooked when they do not fit society’s standard of the default person. The farther away they are from that default, the less likely we are to have heard their stories and know their needs. This then requires that we do more to understand their needs and ensure we are offering needed services and addressing their concerns.