CASS recognizes intersectionality, a theory developed by Kimberle Crenshaw to describe the way the overlap of one’s various social identities such as race, gender, class, and sexual orientation can create multiple layers of structural violence, making those with intersecting identities more vulnerable to interpersonal violence.
We understand that people who hold marginalized identities experience patriarchal violence differently and often with greater severity and less access to support. Because CASS seeks to amplify the voices and experiences of DC’s most marginalized residents, our work must use an intersectional, abolitionist lens that acknowledges and brings attention to the varied ways communities experience patriarchal violence.