Intersectionality generally is the belief that identities overlap to create a whole. It is often applied to gender, race and social constructs in a political sense.

In applying the theory of intersectionality to an ideology, one is better able to understand the parts that make up a whole. Intersectionality shows differences, but it also can enable solidarity.

In the coming years of the Republican Trump administration, progressives must be united in order to best resist and persist against conservative policies, which threaten that which we Democrats stand for.

The way I see it, the more unified the Democratic Party is, the more successful it will be at doing this. A lot is at stake and under attack.

In order to be successful — in order to win — in 2017, 2018 and beyond, Democrats must understand that they are an intersectional party and embrace such intersectionality.

Factions of the Democratic Party that otherwise would not have much reason to support each other in the past must come together for a common good.

Too often, Democrats label themselves as a certain kind of Democrat — a “civil rights Democrat” or an “environmental Democrat.”

With this sort of mindset, Democrats will not win elections in the future — nor would they deserve to. There can be no “union Democrat” nor “pro-choice Democrat.”

There must simply be Democrats. We don’t need to pick and choose; we can have it all.

Democrats must realize the issues that the party supports are not self-contained. The progress many of the identities of the Democratic Party pursue are actually connected and mutually bound. This calls for different factions within the Democratic Party to make a better attempt to support one another.

It does this party no good if teacher unions are printing on non-recycled paper. It does this party no good if the people showing up to support the Planned Parenthood clinics are not buying union-made products. It does this party no good if the people attending the Women’s March aren’t going to the Pride March and if the LGBTQ community and allies championing the Pride March are not supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

For years the Democratic Party has been divided on the grassroots level. This past election it was greatly divided and, as a result, witnessed catastrophic losses. This country cannot afford for the Democratic Party to remain divided for much longer. We have to be indivisible.

For this to happen, Democrats need to talk to each other. LGBTQ Democrats must realize that the battle they wage for their rights is similar to that of women and people of color (which I am sure many of them do).

These communities can only do so much divided, but together in the Democratic Party they can champion a bold movement for equality.

Environmental interests and labor unions have got to come to the conclusion that their causes can help one another. Jobs being outsourced and eliminated by automation can be replaced by a new generation of green jobs. Pro-choice voters and teachers ought to team up to provide safe relationship education in schools.

Each of these identities of the Democratic Party are connected, and each of them hold a common cause: progress.

In order for progress to happen, the Democratic movement must not be divided. Democratic interests must unite under a big tent of progressive causes and support each other.

Then, when the union members are escorting women back to their cars at Planned Parenthood clinics, the LGBTQ community is printing its literature on pre-recycled paper and the public school teacher is petitioning their congressman for a $15 minimum wage in order to eliminate the gender gap, then we as a Democratic movement will see intersectional victory.

Brian DiPaolo is a member of the College Democrats, contact him at [email protected].