“You may not agree with a woman, but to criticize her appearance-- as opposed to her ideas or actions-- isn’t doing anyone any favors, least of all you. Insulting a woman’s looks when they have nothing to do with the issue at hand implies a lack of comprehension on your part, an inability to engage in high-level thinking. You may think she’s ugly, but everyone else thinks you’re an idiot.” -Erin Gloria Ryan

In light of the events of this election season, it only seems fitting that this quote is often misattributed to Hillary Clinton. From the beginning of her campaign, the biggest complaints against Clinton have been inherently sexist: She’s not approachable, she isn’t “cool” enough, she shouts, she’s shrill. Now, let’s unpack that.

She’s not approachable because she isn't sweet enough, isn’t pretty enough, doesn’t fit the warm, nurturing role our society expects from an older woman. She wears pantsuits and doesn't smile as much as people would like her to. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but approachability is nowhere near the top of my list of qualities I look for in a president anyway. I don’t care if she’s someone I would want to hang out with at a party; I care if she’s someone I would want representing my country.

Clinton isn’t “cool” enough because she doesn’t cater to young people in the same way Sanders does; her campaign isn’t meme-saturated, and her name doesn’t lend itself to a slogan anywhere near as snappy as “#FeelTheBern.” When she does try to connect to a younger crowd, she’s always mocked for trying too hard, but what do we expect from her? She’s 68 years old. She belongs to a different generation. Who cares if she knows what “lit” means? She’s running for president, not prom queen.

Finally, the shouting. I’m sorry, but has anyone ever seen Sanders, Trump, or Cruz give a speech without shouting? Politicians yell. When men do it, they’re passionate; when Clinton does it, she’s yelling at you, nagging you like your mother. Besides, what happens when she doesn’t yell? I’m sure Clinton’s shouting has something to do with the fact that she is constantly interrupted, spoken over, and ignored by men who care more about what she’s wearing than any of her political beliefs.

All this being said, I don’t agree with Clinton politically. I’m not voting for her in the primary, and I wouldn’t be particularly thrilled if she were to become our president. However, the reasons behind my opinions have absolutely nothing to do with her gender, and I am beyond sick of the media, the GOP, and especially Sanders supporters using her vagina to discount her credibility. You don't have to vote for Hillary, and you certainly shouldn't vote for her just because a woman. But please, don't use her gender as a reason to attack her. It's lazy, it's sexist, and it makes you look like an idiot.