Power or Principles? : Do Women Weaponize Feminism to Win Arguments?

I was in a heated debate the other day — one of those conversations that starts off reasonable and then, before you know it, someone’s voice is an octave higher, and the words are coming faster than either of you can process.

And then it happened.

The phrase that shut everything down: “Well, if you were really a feminist, you’d agree with me.”

It got me thinking.

Do women ever use feminism as a rhetorical trump card?

A way to sidestep difficult conversations, shut down opposition, or win an argument? And if so — what does that mean for the movement as a whole?

Feminism as a Shield (and a Sword)

Feminism is about equality.

It’s about dismantling harmful systems that have kept women marginalized for centuries. It’s about justice. But, like any ideology, it can be misused.

When feminism is invoked to silence disagreement rather than foster discussion, it stops being a tool for liberation and starts becoming a tool for control.

That’s not to say that calling out sexism isn’t valid — because it absolutely is.