When a Debate Becomes a Crisis: Challenges in Implementing an Intersectional Approach Within a Quebec Feminist Organization

This article examines the challenges surrounding the integration of intersectionality within a feminist ““table de concertation”” (roundtable) in Quebec through a collaborative research project grounded in a partnership-based methodology. Drawing on a sensemaking framework with a focus on identity, the study analyzes interviews with members of various feminist organizations to explore how individuals and organizations interpret and operationalize intersectionality. The findings reveal that the polysemous nature of intersectionality, combined with divergent organizational and individual interpretations, generated significant tensions that escalated into an organizational crisis. Tensions were further exacerbated by top-down decision-making processes and differing views on the roundtable’s role in modelling versus facilitating intersectional practices. The article argues that creating dialogue spaces sensitive to organizational diversity and promoting deeper awareness of intersectionality are critical to preventing polarization and facilitating more sustainable organizational change. These insights contribute to broader discussions on crisis communication, organizational identity, and the dynamics of social movements.