In 2011, the United State saw a renewal of class based mobilization. The “Occupy” movement spread across the country, activating a new generation of activists to address growing socio-economic disparities. Diverse populations and interests were ostensibly brought together under the universalizing message “We are the 99%.” Yet a critical examination of the movement demonstrates a failure to achieve solidarity. Identity-based affinity groups formed in response to movement blind spots emerging around issues of gender and race. These groups served multiple and sometimes contradictory functions. For some, the goal was to provide a more inclusive movement, whether this meant in message or practice. Others were simply seeking a refuge from white and male dominated spaces. This paper focuses on the different manifestations of gender and race based affinity groups, drawing comparisons within and across different geographic locations. It seeks to differentiate between “identity politics” in which the emphasis on difference can have isolating and fragmentary effects, and the “transversal politics of intersectionality” in which attention to difference can become a means of building more meaningful and lasting solidarities.