Red Lips as Rebellion

I’ve sported red lipstick all week. It’s not just that it's cool, nor that it’s fun to pull a piece of my punk or Rockabilly years into this millennium, but it's a political statement. An article on my Facebook feed inspired me to dig into the phenomenon of red lipstick as social protest and I’m glad I did. When making a bold, pro-woman statement against authoritarianism is fun and kind of glamorous, I’m in!

Red lipstick was significant during the suffragette movement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, two of my favorite writer-thinkers, were influenced by Elizabeth Arden to wear red lipstick as a declaration of liberation. Arden herself passed out red lipstick to women marching past her salon in 1912. 

This bold look carried women into WWII and became a patriotic symbol for victory for America and all Allied countries. The Nazi party discouraged makeup, as well as jewelry and perfume, but:

“Hitler especially hated lipstick. He was a vegetarian, and lipsticks in those days were made from animal fats. Among the list of prohibitions for visitors to Hitlerʼs country residence were the following items: avoid excessive makeup, no red lipstick and painted nails. The Führerʼs ally, the leader of the Italian fascists, Benito Mussolini, also had a negative attitude towards make-up.

“The British Ministry of Information… launched a large-scale propaganda campaign under the slogans "Beauty is your duty", "Lipstick is your weapon and you are soldiers of the rear". Now such slogans seem sexist, but at the time they worked so successfully that red lipstick became a symbol of disobedience even in the Nazi-occupied European territories.” (Pyvovarov)

“The cosmetic was even reportedly given to women who had endured the horrors of Nazi concentration camps, as a small gesture of kindness by the Red Cross.” (Murray)

I know some strong Republican women who already sport red lips. I could not say if they continue to support Trump or, even if so, if they might have issues with Trump unconstitutionally giving Musk carte blanche over legit government agencies, or be worried about weakening protections for minorities, or what. 

I trust that we all want the best for America. Not “we all” as in greedy, corrupt people vying for power, but as in us — We the people who struggle to make ends meet, pay taxes, love our families, work hard, and go dancing. We who voted, and we who didn’t because we’re that disinvested in a system that, let’s be honest, has never worked well for many of us. Let’s shore each other up and disagree and debate, but not let rich oligarchs disregard the Constitution and usurp our say. 

Let’s find means of protest — call representatives, attend rallies and marches, sign petitions, share credible news, wear red lipstick. Men can play too. It’s 2025 after all. Historical precedents exist for makeup not being gender-specific. Why not now?

“…In 2018, women and even men from Nicaragua painted their lips with red lipstick and uploaded their photos to social networks to protest against the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega. It all started with an activist detained at a rally. She offered her roommates in the cellar to apply red lipstick, which was not taken away during the search.” (Pyvovarov)

Symbols matter. In response to Trump’s early actions and executive orders, there were calls on social media to join the 50/50 protests (50 protests / 50 states) on Wednesday, February 5th. The posts suggested wearing blue that day, even if you couldn’t attend a protest. I wore two-tones of layered blue and got really excited when I ran into another woman wearing blue at work. “Did you choose that outfit on purpose?” She looked at me puzzled in a way that made it a very awkward question.

The sense of community built when individuals share symbols imbues the article (artifact, color, image) with greater resonance and heartens us all — we are not alone. In short, small gestures can be powerful and emboldening. 

What I’m saying with my red lips — I will fight for freedom. I will defend democracy. I am not afraid.

Let's make this a little fun. Subscribe to my blogpost, comment, and I'll pick someone to send a free red lipstick to next weekend.

Skim the short 3rd paragraph of my last post to learn why I may want more subscribers. https://www.kristinskiferragut.com/post/poetry-politics Thanks! With wishes for your safety and freedom.

Resources

Keagan, Faye, “Symbol of opulence or sign of witchcraft? Here’s a colorful history of red lipstick.” National Geographic, May 2024.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/history-of-red-lipstick

Lee, Morgan, “Protesters in cities across the US rally against Trump’s policies, Project 2025 and Elon Musk,” AP News, February 2025, 

https://apnews.com/article/50501-protests-project-2025-trump-state-capitols-ddd341171a54ba9b498cbfe7530e18ab 

Murray, Becki, “The History of Red Lipstick,” Citizen Femme, February 2024, https://citizen-femme.com/2024/02/20/red-lipstick-history/#:~:text=EARLY%201900s:%20RED%20AS%20DEFIANCE,of%20New%20York%20and%20beyond. 

Pyvovarov, Serhii and Spirin, Yevhen, “Red lipstick was a symbol of womenʼs struggle for their rights, and during World War II it also became a weapon for victory over Nazism, as it was hated by Hitler — a story in archival photos”, June 2022, https://babel.ua/en/texts/80004-red-lipstick-was-a-symbol-of-women-s-struggle-for-their-rights-and-during-world-war-ii-it-also-became-a-weapon-for-victory-over-nazism-as-it-was-hated-by-hitler-a-story-in-archival-photos#:~:text=Workers%20at%20one%20of%20the,Factories%2C%20England%2C%20November%201943.&text=And%20red%20lipstick%20has%20become,citizens%20on%20September%208%2C%201937.