Yes, I've been observing that development, too. A lot of it indeed is political, but from my point of view the sentiment extends beyond mere political opinion in the narrow sense of the word.

I'd rather describe the phenomenon as an identitarian mindset, pretty much what Paul Graham described in his 2009 essay "Keep Your Identity Small": http://www.paulgraham.com/identity.html

Everything seems to have become about identity, which in turn again often is politicised or weaponised even - in the sense that identity is used to build a political argument or define oneself or others along ideological fault lines.

In my opinion, identitarianism is a major current societal issue that has the potential to tear society apart.