I never thought I would say this, but I am so proud of Taylor Swift, and I want everyone to know it.

Swift, who has refrained from speaking on her political values for pretty much her entire career, took to Instagram Sunday to share her beliefs and who she will be voting for in the mid-term elections this November.

“I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG,” she wrote. “I believe that the systematic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.”

Swift posted several paragraphs under a photo of herself saying that she will be voting in Tennessee for the mid-terms and while she is usually in support of voting for women, she will not stand behind Republican U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn who is running for state senator.

“I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love,” Swift wrote.

Swift gave a brief history of Blackburn’s voting record and explained how it does not align with Swift’s values.

“She voted against equal pay for women,” Swift wrote. “She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry.”

Swift wrote that she will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for the House of Representatives.

For years, I have not been able to support Swift because of her failure to speak up on issues that affect this county such as racism and discrimination. I found that she was not using her platform as an A-list celebrity to bring attention to important issues, and it was a waste. When I read her post, the first thing that came to mind was, “It is about time.”

As someone who claims to be a feminist, she was not being loud enough and that was not cool with me.

It is about time she speaks out to her large following, which includes 112 million Instagram followers, and inform them on the importance of voting but also knowing who your candidates are and what they stand for.

One of the most important things Swift included in her post was how important it is to vote, even if you don’t agree with Democrats or Republicans.

“For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway,” she wrote.

Swift included the last day to register to vote in Tennessee, which is Tuesday; this is also the last day to register in Texas.

I hope Swift will move forward and speak on issues that she said are important to her because we need her voice.

I am thrilled that she decided to post that message, because while it is late, it is so important in inspiring people, especially young people, to get out to the polls. Mid-term elections are crucial for making changes in this country and everyone needs to make sure they vote.

I want other celebrities to start breaking away from the fear of losing fans or endorsements because they talk about issues that are important to them because these issues are BIGGER. They need to be talked about. Americans need to be having these discussions.

Thank you, Taylor Swift, for finally speaking up and reminding others that their voice matters and their voice is their vote. Please keep the momentum going.