Key Concepts in Politics, Gender, and Social Justice

Putin

Leader of Russia who has been the president or prime minister since 1999.

Pussy Riot

Members of this Russian feminist and performance art group were imprisoned for performing an unauthorized punk protest song in a Moscow cathedral.

Fundamentalism

This term refers to conservative, traditionalist versions of major religions, including Christianity and Islam. Traits include a perceived crisis brought by modernity, literal readings of religious texts, idealizing the past, and anti-secularism.

Asylum

To qualify for this in the U.S., the applicant must prove: 1) They have either suffered past persecution or have a well-founded fear of future persecution if they return to their home country; and 2) This persecution is based on their race, religion, nationality, membership in a 'particular social group,' or their political opinion.

Remittances

Money sent home by migrants to friends and family in their country of origin.

Carbon tunnel vision

Regarding solutions to climate change, the common single-minded focus on reducing emissions and disregarding the growing body of research suggesting that environmental sustainability requires solutions that also incorporate social sustainability, and in particular, gender equity.

Climate justice approach

Paying attention to how climate change impacts people differently, unevenly, and disproportionately, as well as redressing the resultant injustices in fair and equitable ways.

Praxis

Theory put into practice.

Pinkwashing

A government's strategic use of pro-LGBTQ rights discourse to divert attention from other human rights abuses.

Muxe

Zapotec people who identify as a third gender, primarily in Juchitán, Mexico.

Hijra

South Asian people who identify as a third gender.

Two-Spirit

A contemporary umbrella term for Indigenous people of North America who identify as a third gender or as gender-nonconforming.

Heteronormativity

Heterosexuality as a natural given; anything else is deviant.

Homonormativity

Privileging and normalizing those aspects of LGBTQ identity and culture that most closely adhere to mainstream heterosexual norms.

Heterocolonialism

Historical colonial imposition of heterosexuality as a means of 'civilizing' colonized people.

Homocolonialism

Western efforts to liberate the LGBTQ community from oppressive governments while also limiting it to the 'right way' to be LGBTQ.

Homonationalist

Using LGBTQ rights and freedoms as proof of national superiority over backward, barbaric Others.

Femonationalist

Using gender rights and freedoms as proof of national superiority over backward, barbaric Others.