Why Intersectionality is Vital in Lyme Advocacy

What is Intersectional Advocacy?

Intersectional advocacy is the unification of intersections between forms or systems of oppression, domination or discrimination. An example is a cisgender lesbian Lyme patient, where the experience of being a woman, a lesbian and a Lyme patient, considered and serviced independently, can weaken the impact of said service, and should instead include and facilitate outreach across all interactions, which frequently reinforce each other. Intersectionality in advocacy is particularly important because it acknowledges that different communities are likely to need unique services that are tailored to who they are, rather than having a homogenous approach be assumed or applied to everyone. It is the practice of striking a balance between being all-inclusive and tailoring your services to help fill a need by a specific demographic of a broader community. In doing so, we meet the needs of each individual, while also pushing ahead progress that affects the broader community as a whole.