SIMS: Betrayed by Their Own Tribe

Why Radical Feminist Groups Still Cling to the Democratic Party

How ideological tribalism and fear of “right-wing” stigma stop women’s rights organizations from defending their own mission—while Democrats look the other way

When Identity Politics Trumps Women’s Rights: The Paradox of Feminist Alliances with Democrats.

Why Leading Women’s Groups Shun Conservative Allies Even When They Defend Women’s Sports.

Despite the increasingly heated public debate over women’s rights—especially in areas like single-sex sports and spaces—mainstream feminist organizations like WDI International, DIAG, and WOLF Liberation Front remain steadfast in their alliances with the Democratic Party. This is true even as Democrats refuse to define “woman,” push policies eroding sex-based protections, and sidestep defending Title IX for female athletes. Meanwhile, right-leaning groups like the Leadership Institute and TPUSA are sometimes the only organizations willing to sponsor public forums and events, such as today’s “Protect Women’s Sports” keynote by Paula Scanlan at the University of New Hampshire, that unapologetically advocate for women’s fairness and free speech.

Yet, as your correspondence shows, feminist groups have categorically refused to publicize or be seen supporting such events—not because they oppose the issue, but because they will not affiliate with conservative-branded hosts. In emails between DIAG, WDI USA, and event organizers from Independent Women’s Network NH Chapter, leaders of WDI USA made their positions clear: they will not “be publicly associated with the Leadership Institute due to their anti-feminist views,” even if this means refusing to collaborate when the issue at hand is at the very heart of their mission.

So, Why This Reluctance? Why support Democrats, and write off the only public forums where women’s rights are actively being defended?

The answer lies in a combination of ideological tribalism, reputational risk, and the structure of progressive politics. For decades, the Democratic Party has been the political home for nearly all major feminist and LGBT organizations. The party’s stances on abortion, workplace discrimination, and gender parity undergirded these alliances and shaped how feminist groups position themselves in public life. To associate with right-leaning organizations—even for a common cause—means risking alienation from the broader progressive coalition, attacks from allied non-profits, and accusations of “platforming” groups assumed to be hostile on unrelated policy areas.

Even when it comes to foundational women’s issues—like safeguarding women’s sports and changing rooms from sex-based competition and exposure—maintaining in-group status with the left takes precedence. Right-leaning groups, regardless of the substance of their advocacy, are treated as “toxic” by association simply because of their party alignment. As seen in the emails from DIAG and WDI USA, the risk of being labeled as collaborating with “anti-feminist” or “right-wing” organizations outweighs the practical gains of defending women’s rights.

On the flip side, Democrats know these feminist organizations, for all their private frustration, are unlikely to defect. The party can take their base for granted, knowing the social penalties for collaboration with groups like the Leadership Institute or TPUSA are higher than any disappointment over Democratic backsliding on sex-based rights. Progressive feminists often justify this as a “least-worst” approach: “If not Democrats, who—Republicans?” Even when conservative or independent women’s groups offer a visible platform (as with the Independent Women’s Network’s tabling and support for today’s event at UNH with Paula Scanlan), their support is brushed aside because supporting them could mean being cast out from the mainline progressive movement.

This leaves women’s rights caught between two poles: a Democratic Party often unwilling to defend them, and right-leaning organizations ready to speak up, but shunned by those clinging to political orthodoxy. The paradox is stark—today, defending single-sex sports and spaces is increasingly a conservative-coded act, and stays off-limits for groups invested in maintaining progressive bona fides. Until feminist leadership reckons with the practical costs of this tribal loyalty and prioritizes mission over party, women’s rights advocacy risks being ineffective, isolated, and denied a necessary coalition.

Events like Paula Scanlan’s appearance at UNH show there’s a public hunger for honest debate on these issues. Feminist organizations limiting themselves to “safe” Democratic alliances let party identity trump the core mission—and in doing so, betray the very women’s rights they claim to champion.