play the gender card

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

play the gender card

1. (idiomatic, often derogatory) To assert that sexism is involved in a situation, especially in order to exploit sexist or antisexist attitudes.
   • 2008 January 8, Gloria Steinem, “Women Are Never Front-Runners”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     What worries me is that she is accused of “playing the gender card” when citing the old boys’ club, while he is seen as unifying by citing civil rights confrontations.

   • 2010, Robert Fedorchek, The Translators: A Novel, Bloomington: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 463:

     […] the CAS was going to lose two of its best teachers; tolerate a mediocre one who had skillfully played the gender card by hiding behind her pregnancy; and retain an ineffective one.

Coordinate terms

• play the race card