The Civil Rights Era and the Push for Unity
For much of America’s history, the country was racially segregated. There were separate schools, bathrooms, neighborhoods, and bus seats. This division wasn’t subtle. It was enforced by law and backed by violence. But over time, we dismantled that system. Through protest, policy, and cultural change, America moved toward integration. The goal was simple: treat people as individuals, not categories.
We got rid of the "Whites Only" signs. We told people to judge others by their character. We stopped sorting people by race or background. And for a while, we moved closer to that ideal.
Inclusion Reverses Progress
But in recent years, that progress has reversed. Segregation is coming back, but this time it’s happening under the banner of inclusion, safety, and identity.
Under the Biden administration, universities began hosting separate graduations based on race. There are also dorms, discussion groups, and events for specific racial or ethnic groups. What used to be called segregation is now rebranded as empowerment. But the outcome is the same: separation.
Male-Only Spaces Dismantled, Female Spaces Protected
This isn’t limited to race. For years, men weren’t allowed to have spaces separate from women. Any time a space was male-dominated, there were demands to open it up. Once women entered, the rules would change, and men would leave to create something new. Then the cycle would start again. But women were always allowed to have their own spaces. That double standard was accepted.
The Boy Scouts Example
Look at the Boy Scouts. For over a century, it was a space for boys. The Girl Scouts existed separately for girls. But then, in the name of inclusion, the Boy Scouts were forced to admit girls. The entire structure changed. The name changed. The culture changed. It stopped being a space just for boys. But the Girl Scouts didn’t follow suit. They didn’t open their doors to boys. They kept their female-only status. So what happened was simple: the male space was dismantled, but the female space was preserved. Inclusion only went one way.
Gender Ideology Turns on Women
The backlash came when third wave feminism embraced gender ideology. That opened the door for biological men to enter women’s spaces: locker rooms, prisons, sports, shelters—simply by identifying as women. The same arguments used to break apart male spaces were now applied to women’s spaces. But this time, the discomfort and objections couldn’t be ignored. That’s when the reversal began.
Gym Culture and the Demand for Male Spaces
In response, men are beginning to call for their own spaces again. This isn’t just theoretical—it’s playing out visibly on social media.
There’s a growing trend of female influencers filming themselves in revealing clothing, positioning themselves near men in gyms, then recording their reactions to try to catch them “staring.” Many of these videos are edited to shame the men publicly. Some women have even been seen mimicking sexual movements on gym equipment. These incidents go viral, and the men often have no defense. After the MeToo movement, any interaction—real or perceived—can be weaponized. If a man is caught on camera, even glancing in the wrong direction, he risks being labeled a creep or accused of harassment.
Because of this, some men are now asking for male-only gyms. The argument is simple: if women can have female-only gyms to avoid being hit on by men, then men should be able to have their own spaces to avoid being targeted, baited, or shamed online.
Digital Spaces and Gender-Based Separation
We’re now seeing women-only apps that explicitly exclude men. These platforms are often celebrated as safe spaces for women, but the same logic isn’t extended to men. As cultural tensions rise, men are beginning to seek similar digital environments—places where they can interact without fear of public shaming or false accusations. The demand for gender-based digital segregation mirrors what's unfolding in physical spaces like gyms.
Men are beginning to recognize the fundamental double standard: women are allowed to have as many segregated spaces as they want to distance themselves from men, but when men attempt to create similar boundaries, they’re met with accusations of sexism or exclusion. The frustration is mounting. Women have already voiced their discontent with certain gender dynamics, but now men are responding in kind—seeking their own spaces, physically and digitally, to reclaim autonomy and defend against unfair treatment.
Men are beginning to recognize the fundamental double standard: women are allowed to have as many segregated spaces as they want to distance themselves from men, but when men attempt to create similar boundaries, they’re met with accusations of sexism or exclusion. The frustration is mounting. Women have already voiced their discontent with certain gender dynamics, but now men are responding in kind—seeking their own spaces, physically and digitally, to reclaim autonomy and defend against unfair treatment.
Voluntary Segregation as a Reaction to Cultural Breakdown
This is just one example of how the backlash is forming—not in policy, but in behavior. People are creating or demanding separate spaces because trust has broken down.
The Identity Grid Replaces Character
At the same time, everything is being viewed through the lens of identity. We’ve moved from a colorblind society to a race-obsessed one. People are encouraged to see themselves and others as categories: Black, white, male, female, trans, cis, neurodivergent, oppressed, oppressor. The focus isn’t on shared values or individual merit. It’s on which identity group you belong to and what your place is within that structure.
Intersectionality made this possible. It turned identity into a moral ranking system. The more boxes you check, the more credibility or victimhood you’re seen to have. Once that framework was adopted, it created a system where every group began demanding its own space, its own rules, and its own truth. We opened the door to permanent fragmentation.
Tribes Are Forming: Real-World Examples
People are breaking off into their own tribes. Open echoes are appearing around separatist ideas—though less in the form of organized marches and more through movements, groups, and symbolic actions rooted in identity. Discussions surrounding separatist living, autonomy, and cultural resistance are increasingly visible.
In Arkansas, a group called Return to the Land has developed a whites-only settlement in the Ozarks. Applicants are vetted based on European ancestry, and the community explicitly excludes people of other races, religions, and sexual orientations. It’s not theory—it exists.
Meanwhile, in Texas, the East Plano Islamic Center is developing a 400-acre master-planned community known as EPIC City. Although its founders say it will be open to all, the project is centered on serving the Muslim population. The Department of Justice investigated whether it violated housing laws. That case was dropped, but the controversy made headlines, showing just how politically charged identity-based planning has become.
There are also Black groups calling for cultural self-determination. Groups like the Huey P. Newton Gun Club in Dallas and the New Black Panther Party promote Black autonomy and community self-governance. In 2021, activists in Austin declared “Orisha Land,” a Black-led autonomous zone, in response to a police shooting. It was short-lived, but it showed how far the desire for separation can go.
We’re also seeing rising tensions directed toward Jewish communities. With the increase in identity-based movements, new lines are being drawn, and old animosities are reemerging. Rising anti-Semitism is being fueled by polarization—Islamists versus Jews, and even attempts to pit Christians against Jews. As society fractures into competing identity groups, Jews once again find themselves targeted, caught in ideological and cultural crossfires.
The Right to Disassociate
These examples point to the same conclusion: segregation is coming back, but not through legislation. It’s coming through voluntary disconnection—people choosing to live apart, build apart, and identify apart. Identity politics didn’t bring people together. It pushed them away from each other.
None of this is happening under law. It’s happening through culture, media, apps, hiring policies, schools, and everyday life. The right to associate is protected by the Constitution, and by extension, so is the right to disassociate. That’s what’s playing out now. People are pulling away. From each other. From institutions. From the idea of being just American.
Final Thoughts: From Recognition to Division
This is where identity politics has taken us. It started as a movement for recognition. But it led to division. And now, we’re watching as segregation returns, not by force, but by choice.
It's thought provoking. Everyone should read this.