My thoughts on Hillary, misogyny, and our evolution towards equality by

super important political pundit Ginger Gonzaga*

*and by that I mean, actress and comedienne.

I am not voting for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman. When it comes to presidential candidates, consider me as gender-blind as Angelina Jolie when picking sexual partners in the nineties. (Do you, girlfriend!) Gender is inherently, not a reason for me to vote for a candidate. I would use the trite statement, "I don't vote with my vagina," but I refuse to anthropomorphize my neither regions, and, let's be honest people, I'm no dummy, I know damn well that you vote with your hands!

When the democratic candidates started debating, I didn't see male, or female. I simply saw, Hillary, Bernie and that one random dude who's gone now (Sorry O'Malley). While I, admittedly, already sided with Hillary, I did my duty of researching my candidates, and quickly came to the conclusion that, I want Bernie the same way I want I want his doppelganger, George Steinbrenner, in Seinfeld-sprinkled throughout the show, saying memorable lines, helping me like it, but not leading it. So, no matter how hard Killer Mike might campaign for Bernie, I'm just not hearing it. (Much like I haven't heard much of his music ) OOOH #BERN! (Sorry bro, you're just not in my top five).

I, Ginger Gonzaga, am undoubtedly, unapologetically, excitedly and passionately for Hillary Clinton. And while her gender may not be the reason, the very fact that she is a woman, has brought a lot of feelings for me, and for this nation, during the election.

I'm both saddened and surprised by the extent of sexism and misogyny that I've witnessed in response to potentially having the first female president. In this era full of what I like to call "social media soapboxing," people are so quick to post or tweet out ugly comments, whose nasty roots are both intentionally and unintentionally misogynistic. Whenever I post something positive about Hillary Clinton on social media, the negative responses are ridiculous. "She dresses like chairman Mao!" "I'm voting for someone who belongs in a pantsuit," or my favorite one, "she sounds so whiney, and yells when she gets mad."

Are you kidding me, people? Again, Bernie sounds like GEORGE STEINBENER FROM SEINFELD. You guys, that's not a GOOD thing, THAT'S WHY THEY MADE FUN OF IT ON TV! Don't get me wrong, Hillary has her foibles, but these common critiques are RARELY anything of substance and policy, but rather cruel comments rooted in a distrust and dislike of women that are as archaic as vilifying Eve...you know, the famous female biblical character who was PUNISHED because she wanted to dabble with the tree of KNOWLEDGE rather than remain brain dead and ignorant!!! God forbid she educated herself! Give the gal a break! Ugh, I digress.

Now, for the most part, these negative commenters are annoying internet trolls whose 140 characters are most likely directly proportional to the number of words they've read about each candidate, but troll or no troll, they're still voters, and what's worse, they're hardly all Trump supporters. I EXPECT misogynistic remarks from followers of a candidate who wants to "make America Great again," (i.e, bring us back to a time where women couldn't vote, blacks had no rights and gays couldn't marry). But when I hear them casually coming from my own people, fellow democrats, and even friends who don't recognize the sexism, I'm forced to be reminded of the lack of equality that Hillary, by inherent nature of her gender, has constantly been forced to fight against, and how far we all still have to go.

Some people, especially in comparison to Donald Trump, gripe that Hillary is "too serious" and "lacks humor." For the record, I DO think Hillary has a great sense of humor. I've seen her witty responses on CSPAN, and in interviews, and I'm inclined to believe that with intelligence comes humor. Do I wish that Hillary made her audience laugh more? Sure, but there's something VERY important to remember. She is a woman. Am I saying women aren't funny? (no you idiots, I'm a comedian). I am simply pointing out the double standard.

When a woman is trying to be taken seriously in a male-dominated space, the LAST thing she can afford to be is funny. When a woman is navigating a male-dominated field, humor isn't a luxury that can just be thrown around like it can with men. A woman's humor is far to quickly misconstrued as "flirty" or "unserious." She can be dismissed as "nervous," or "uncommitted."

A woman breaking through in a male dominated arena HAS to be as serious as possible so that people take her goals seriously in a realm where the odds are stacked against her. Is Hillary running for President? Damn right she is. Take her seriously, there is nothing funny about it, and she will not allow a selfish desire for a laugh undercut the severity of what she's doing or what's at stake. Is this fair? Absolutely not! But this is the reality of inequality. When men and women are truly equal, both will be able to joke, laugh, charm and smile without the latter being judged or their ambitions dismissed.

The most annoying negative response to Hillary's candidacy I've come across from these "social media soap boxers", reveals an unfair double standard for different types of women when people are uncomfortable with a change in the status quo. Various individuals have written to me that they won't vote for Hillary because "she was cheated on and is therefore the worst." What?! Never mind that past infidelity by her partner has nothing to do with politics. How jarring is it to think that the very fact that a woman was wronged by her husband could become a reason to literally discount and ignore her ENTIRE resume and qualifications for commander in chief? Where's the compassion, and the recognition that she SURVIVED, and handled such a personal, awful situation, publicity and gracefully without throwing in the towel, giving up on men, her country and fighting for people in general (including the very ones who might say something so stupid).

If the sexist roots of this brand of pejorative isn't blatant, let's look at a simple comparison. The SAME people who unfairly shame Hillary for being on the receiving end of a sex scandal are the SAME people who think Jackie Kennedy is the ideal woman. Now, Jackie Kennedy was wonderful, but the point I'm making is that the treatment of these two different women in similar situations is unequal and unfair. The world's sex kitten, Marilyn Monroe, sang the most orgasmic version of "Happy Birthday" to Jacqueline Kennedy's then husband in front of her, and the nation, while CLEARLY sleeping with him. Nevertheless, no one would ever think to say "oh that Jackie Kennedy sure is the worst. She was cheated on." WHY? Because Jackie Kennedy didn't pose a threat to men. She didn't disrupt the norm and status quo for women. Jackie was demure, quiet, devoid of political ambition and dressed to the ideal that was forced upon her by men and society during Camelot, leaving everyone feeling comfy and cozy.

Hillary defies those norms and unfair ideals, and worse (for her), subconsciously poses a threat by vying for a traditionally "male job, " and therefore is deprived of the same love, compassion, and intentional turning of a blind eye that Jackie received. Instead, she is blamed for something that is not only out of her control, but completely unrelated to her qualifications for the Presidency.

While these sexist reactions are ugly, I believe they are a very natural response for people who are initially resistant to change. I think that many people who initially resist equality and social change evolve in the following way. First there is the change, (in this case, a qualified woman runs for president). The change in the status quo is followed by natural feelings of discomfort. Men might feel threatened and insecure. (What? I thought that job was just for us? Why is this woman taking something that was normally reserved for my gender! Is there going to be nothing left for me? Am I not superior?) Conversely, women might feel an unnecessary pressure to change as well. (Does this mean my job as a homemaker isn't worthy? Do people think I don't do enough? Who is this person doing something so different?)

These natural feelings of discomfort and insecurity are followed by initial caveman/child-like attacks that are devoid of logic. (People disliking Hillary just because she's a woman. People uttering childish Trump-like attacks that have more to with her clothes and timber of her voice, than policy, facts, and qualifications). Over time, however, these individuals start to process the change, as the equality becomes more commonplace. And if they make it to the end of the tunnel, they realize that the change is not bad. (People discover that the world didn't end from having a female president! Even better, they might benefit from a female president! What?!) Once this happens, people can finally transition into the phase of embracing change with acceptance and support. Yay! For now, many of these hurtful internet trolls, are still stuck in their "caveman/child- like response stage." They're loud and obnoxious and spout out mean comments that are grounded in hate and negative emotions stemming from their own insecurities, and failure to adjust. Their attacks are ridiculous to the point that they even criminalize attributes such as "ambitious, aggressive and angry;" when describing Hillary- qualities, that I, for one, WANT in my president. While these misogynistic attacks are awful, I believe in my heart that they signify some of the final desperate Hail Mary attempts by some to resist change. Change, that I believe, is pleasantly unavoidable, especially if we elect this female president.

The election of a Hillary Clinton won't single-handedly eliminate sexism and misogyny, but it can definitely help us evolve. True equality, I believe, will require time, and the empowerment of the males and females of younger generations. The best way to achieve youth empowerment is to give young people have the resources they need to able reach their full potential- a concept that is, quite arguably Hillary Clinton's biggest desire and most consistent message throughout her campaign. Allow me to translate. Hillary, as I do, believes that every person has a unique set of gifts, abilities and potential, that CAN be fully realized and transformed into unlimited success, when people are given the right opportunities, and stripped from the roadblocks that may hold them back; be it racism, lack of education, poor income, untimely deaths by guns, undrinkable water, incarceration without rehabilitation etc. It is a beautiful and loving message. It's as if Hillary is America's bad-ass mom. Sure she was a book-loving YALE nerd, but she's a goddamn fiery cheer leader for the kids of America and you better not get in her way when she wants her kids to succeed.

When I was younger, I was actually able to briefly meet then Senator Hillary Clinton while at a summer program in D.C. My peers and I spotted her en route to vote in the Senate floor and we mobbed her for pictures, which she happily took. She invited me to ride the subway with her all the way to her vote. She chatted and I smiled, but to be completely honest, I mostly stared.

At that time I was an in-it-to-win-it speech and debate nerd, diver, and full on DORK, who in that very moment, felt extremely lucky. But I was also a young ethnic female, weighted down with eating disorders, from a family with a moderate income, and hailing from a city that was, at the time, the 5th least educated in the nation. (If this essay has typos, now you know to blame me and my upbringing, not the editor.) Sixteen-year-old me could have used a president Hillary advocating for the mental health access that she finds so important. Many parents in my town could have benefited from her message that childhood education is paramount (instead of trying to BAN the literary classics from our curriculum because they mentioned sex. WHAT?!) My family could have benefited from Hillary's proposed college debt relief plans so that I didn't deprive myself of art classes in order to save money and graduate early, only to throw myself into the confusing purgatory that is life post college sans grad school. I was a young person, doing everything I could to maximize my talents, and my own potential, but there were still forces beyond my control holding me back. I would have welcomed a "loud," "aggressive," "ambitious," "angry" Hillary, "shouting" for me, in areas where my voice felt so small. Now, my experience as a young person is hardly dramatic, but it's proof that Hillary's all encompassing goal for young people -- "to limit barriers that prevent them having the opportunities to fully maximize their true potential" -- is applicable to everyone.

Not only that, but she has the policies to match her prose. With this as Hillary's mantra for youth, I truly believe that in the future, when a young girl runs into a senator, like I did, she wont see it as a once in a life-time experience, but rather, exposure to a life that doesn't seem that far out of reach. Furthermore, as we empower the youths of both genders, we'll weaken the presence of misogyny and sexism.

Like I said, I would never cast my vote for Hillary based on that the fact that she is a woman, and I would never advocate that one should. However, AS a woman, I'm thankful for what she's done to represent us, and I find it important to shine a light on misogynistic criticism that seeks to conceal it. Several of the holes in the glass ceiling are there because Hillary Clinton took so many bullets for women. She's bravely broken down several barriers for women, and I, for one, would be stoked to have this smart, fierce lady as our to President. This, of course, is my humble opinion, but it's an opinion that I think will become more common as we evolve as a society, which can happen much faster if we empower our youth, and even MORE rapidly, once we elect our first female president.

To all genders reading this, PLEASE VOTE WITH YOUR BRAIN. Do your research. Read about the Hillary Doctrine, discover the mistakes she's learned from, and the successes that earned her great approval ratings in all her offices. Educate yourselves about her career, "smart power," what she's fought for and what she aims to do. Challenge yourselves to learn something about BOTH candidates that you may not have already known. Think about an issue that's important to you, and be curious enough to see what each candidate has done for that issue throughout his or her career.

To the women reading this, PLEASE DO NOT vote with your vagina (unless of course, you've done SO MANY kegels that your vag can actually HOLD A PEN and vote. If that's the case, then dayummmmm girl, use that talent, instagram that sh**, and make history in your own way!)

Above all things, DO YOU. My one exception to advocating that anyone should vote for Hillary based on her gender would be this: if you are undecided and need something to tip the scales, and you have a sister, daughter or female friend that you love, and you hope that one day she can become something as powerful, successful and influential as the leader of the United States, then I'll kindly remind you of the old adage, "you can't be what you can't see"...unless of course, you vote for Hillary.