I have been closely watching the election since I registered to vote, as this year will be my first time voting in the general election. This is a big deal for me, as it feels like for once my vote will matter in this upcoming election.

What disappoints me are the criticisms from those who claim to be feminists condemning women who support Bernie Sanders but not Hillary Clinton. I consider myself to be a feminist. I believe in equality for all people of different genders, races and religions. But that doesn't mean I'm voting for Hillary.

Before the debates, I had already declared my support for Hillary Clinton, but it was for all the wrong reasons. While I am a registered Independent, most of my views align with the Democratic Party, which Hillary Clinton is a part of. I also felt that even though she is a woman, she has a huge following, and there was no doubting that she would be the clear frontrunner.

I was choosing Hillary based on the fact that she was a woman. So I started doing research on all the different candidates, both Republicans and Democrats. In all honesty, the Republican's debates are a circus as their beliefs and actions scare me. Then a lot of people kept talking about Bernie Sanders and what, exactly, he stood for.

Yes, he is a Democratic Socialist and many say he might not even get the nomination, but look at what he has accomplished so far. He has raised millions of dollars from donations from the American people who truly believe in his vision.

We are tired of the division and hatred that runs rampant in this country and the support for him shows that. I am voting for Sanders, because I believe in his policies and I truly believe he can change the inequality in the country that the rich have taken advantage of.

I support Hillary Clinton's efforts and respect her as a person. But just because she is a woman doesn't mean I should vote for her. Just because she is a Democratic doesn't mean I should vote for her. Just because Bernie is a man doesn't mean you should vote for him.

Gloria Steinnem and Madeline Albright have endorsed Hillary Clinton, while telling young women, "There's a special place in Hell for women who don't help each other." Yes, we women should support each other, but I will not be shamed into supporting Hillary just because we are the same gender. I vote with my mind, not my body.

Shaming women and saying that their support for Bernie is an effort to meet boys, undermines the values of feminism. Feminism is not about voting for Hillary because she's a woman, it's not about reading and buying products by only women. It is about supporting those who are marginalized and not given the same opportunity as their other counterparts.

Hillary Clinton has no disadvantage in this election. The establishment has set-up this election in her favor while many have underestimated the support for Bernie Sanders. Feminists think that voting Hillary into office will change attitudes against women, but Barack Obama was voted in and it only exposed all the racism that was hidden. Having a female President will not solve all our problems and we need to stop believing that she will.

The problem within this country is everyone's blind loyalty to a party that they think aligns with their beliefs or a party that they think has their best interests.

Don't just blindly follow. This year's election is quite important: We have a woman as a front-runner for president, we have a 74-year-old man who wants to dismantle the establishment with our help,
and a reality TV star who wants to build a wall.

So please don't vote for Hillary just because she's a woman.