The Left Only Supports Women When It Serves Political Ideology, Not Genuine Feminism
Source: Brianna Lyman. "The Left Only Likes Women If They're Politically Useful." September 2, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
The author argues that feminists don't actually care about protecting women—they only care about whether a woman's story can be used to push left-wing political points. She points to three cases: an innocent woman murdered (largely ignored by feminists), a mother who killed her children (defended by feminists), and a woman who used a racial slur (condemned by feminists)—arguing the pattern shows feminism is really just political opportunism, not genuine concern for women.
Conclusion
Feminism, as practiced by the left, is not genuinely about protecting or empowering women but is instead a tool for advancing left-wing ideology, selectively invoking womanhood only when politically useful.
Premises
- Iryna Zarutska, an innocent white woman murdered by a career criminal, was largely ignored by feminists because her case highlighted failures of soft-on-crime policies and racial dynamics that threatened left-wing narratives.
- Lindsay Clancy, a woman who killed her three children, was embraced and defended by feminists because her case could be used to advance narratives about the burdens of motherhood and inadequate mental health support.
- Shiloh Hendrix, a woman who used a racial slur in a confrontation, received no sympathy or protection from feminists despite mitigating context, because race took priority over sex in that case.
- The stark difference in feminist response to these three women's cases—ignoring an innocent victim, defending a child-killer, and condemning a woman without racial sympathy—reveals an inconsistent standard based on ideological utility rather than womanhood itself.
- This pattern demonstrates that concern for women's safety, innocence, or victimhood is secondary to whether a case can be leveraged for broader left-wing political narratives (on race, crime, motherhood, or mental health).
Assumptions
- There exists a coherent, monolithic group identifiable as 'the left' or 'feminists' that acts with unified motives across these three cases.
- The reactions of some vocal individuals or social media users are representative of feminism as a movement or ideology broadly.
- Genuine feminism would necessarily require equal outrage and advocacy for all women regardless of the political implications of their cases.
- The author's characterization of feminist responses (e.g., 'flooded social media with bizarre theories,' 'silent or supportive of jailing Hendrix') accurately and fairly represents the range of feminist opinion.
- Selective public attention or advocacy in specific cases necessarily indicates ideological hypocrisy rather than differing views on culpability, mental illness, or context within a diverse movement.