I've never quite figured out why some issues get labeled "culture war" issues, and some do not. It's an epithet to suggest they are distractions from what is actually important, when a lot of those issues are very important and very central to our politics! Sure some ways those issues (and *all* issues) enter The Discourse are ridiculous, but the issues themselves are usually quite important!
My new theory is it's "issues which dipshit centrists basically agree with right wingers about, but don't want to admit it."