Okay, I’ll admit I used the title of this to be provocative. I by no means am I touting myself as a pretty girl (hey, I do love myself enough to think I am), but it seems to me that there’s a double standard for women who are into makeup, fashion and all things aesthetic to keep their perfectly-lined lips closed when it comes to politics.

As a blogger, I really see this happening in the world of Instagram & social media influencers these days. Unless it’s an account dedicated solely to politics, you rarely see a female-run account being vocal about politics. And at a time when someone who holds what is supposed to be the most honored position in our country talks about women “bleeding from wherever,” about “grabbing them by the pussy,” and publicly shaming them for having a facelift, I think it is time to speak up.

I mean, it’s pretty clear that sexism is once again a mainstream way of life in the U.S. when someone who guides and is supposed to epitomize our country’s values sees womens’ worth solely in how they look. Regardless of your political affiliation, right now politics isn’t just about Republicans or Democrats. It’s about having to fight for your right to be treated with respect as an intellectual equal, even if (especially if) you have an affinity for mini skirts and hairspray.

There’s an age-old stereotype that ‘pretty’ women aren’t smart–and it’s still going strong. The exchange back in December between Fox News Host Tucker Carlson and Teen Vogue writer Lauren Duca is a prime example of this (see video here). During Carlson’s interview with Duca, he sparred with her over her tweet stating that Ivanka Trump has “sinister complicity in aiding the most aggressively anti-woman candidate of our time.”

In addition to interrupting Duca each time she tried to respond to his side of the argument, Carlson sunk the interview to personal attacks, using the articles she wrote about entertainment and celebrities to try to discredit her opinion and thoughts on politics. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he ended the interview with this sexist gem: “You should stick to the thigh-high boots. You’re better at that.”

You know what Lauren Duca got after that interview? Tons of rape threats. (Rape threats?! WTF?!!) 

Given what Duca went through afterward, I understand your hesitation. If you’re a blogger or influencer, maybe you shy away from sharing your opinions because you don’t want to polarize your audience. Or maybe you feel that life is so clogged up with political bullsh*t that you want your Instagram to be a shiny happy light for yourself and others. I was the same way, so I get it.

To Influencers: It might be true that you’ll get less engagement on those posts. I recently started sharing some political thoughts as well as encouraging my followers to vocalize their thoughts in comments, and those have by far been the posts with the least likes and comments. But here’s the great thing–Just as we are multifaceted as women, so can our Instagrams be.

It’s time to think of the big picture rather than just “What if my post won’t get likes,” or “What if this person won’t like me/trolls me?” We need to prove to a part of society who feels it’s okay to hire a man that perpetuates female stereotypes and crams us into a box labeled ‘Pretty – Do Not Speak’ that we have opinions on politics and we will not stand for sexism or patriarchy. We don’t have to be the bra-burning type to do that.

Pretty women (and by that I mean every woman out there), it’s time to unite to support each other. You can care about how you look and be vocal about politics. It’s about our fundamental rights as women. Let’s take a page out of Lauren Duca’s book. She used the degrading, sexist comments of Carlson to launch a column in Teen Vogue called Thigh High Politics that encourages young women to be active in and knowledgable about politics.

Ready to do it to it, ladies? I encourage you to leave a comment below with ANY feelings/thoughts you have on politics. Or if you’re more of an Instagram gal, drop a comment on one of my very first political social media posts here. Let’s go all Elle Woods on their asses.

Follow @youmustlovelife on Instagram for more style, food & inspiration on living the good life.