Identity is an important aspect of one's life because it provides a way to define oneself and provide purpose. Many different aspects make up a person's identity, such as race, gender, or religion. In “Queer and Now” Eve Sedgwick expands the concept of queer, showing how the word is multifaceted and contains many elements, such as “biological sex,” “preferred partner's gender assignment,” or “your favorite sexual acts.” Furthermore, Sedgwick states that “silent assumptions” are often made about people in terms of their appearance regarding sexual identity, despite the plethora of elements to one's sexual identity. This idea of ​​“silent presumptions” and various elements that are part of one's identity can apply to different aspects of human identity, such as race or religion. These identities, just like sexuality, are incongruent, meaning they contain many parts. Furthermore, the same word has different connotations for different people. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Race is a definitive aspect of one's identity, but often "assumptions" are based solely on appearance. For example, a crude assumption might be to say that if someone is black, then they have lower economic status. Evidently, this is a bold assumption to make, as “blackness” has as many facets as there are sexual identities, such as adherence to one's African culture. Additionally, there is often discrimination within a race, such as seeing a light-skinned person as “less black.” Racial prejudice can demonstrate why it is important to understand the multiple elements of one's racial identity because how someone identifies may differ from their appearance. Additionally, assumptions are often made about one's religion. For example, the September 11 terrorist attacks sparked negative sentiment towards Muslims, comparing almost all Muslims to terrorists. However, this presumptuous association of these two words goes against Sedgwick's idea that identities are multifaceted because it limits the “wiggle room” of one's identity. For some, being Muslim may mean strict adherence to the Quran, but for others it may mean having a sense of community with others who follow the same religion. Religious identities can unite people with different class, racial, or sexual identities. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Additionally, the “open mesh of possibilities” that religious identity encompasses allows one to follow a religion by adhering to beliefs that may conflict with the sacred doctrine of the religion. The contrast between Christian institutions like the Westboro Baptist Church, which chastises people for their identities, such as race, sexuality or gender, and other less polarizing groups, shows that the “umbrella term” of Christianity does not have a “monolithic” definition. This ambiguity relates to religion because one may not be an avid church goer, but still identify as a Christian. Identities serve as the ultimate way for people to connect with each other.