By Lori Perkins
Congressman Matt Gaetz, currently under investigation for possible sex trafficking of an underage girl, thought he was being extremely clever when he body-shamed 19 year-old Olivia Juliana after speaking at a national rally where he made derogatory comments about people who need abortions. He said (I include his words here because they are so offensive, so be warned), “Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions? Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb.” When the Texas teen criticized him, he tweeted a picture of her which led to online attacks against the teen, who uses her first and middle name to avoid. this kind of personal attack.
But Gaetz picked the wrong teen to pick on.
Olivia Julian is an activist who works with Gen Z for Change and used her new-found notoriety to raise over $1.5 million in 72 hours for abortion access in 60 abortion access groups throughout the country by setting up the hashtag “#ThanksMattGaetz” on Twitter.
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In 24 hours, she raised $70,000, but after articles appeared in Newsweek, The Washington Post, Vogue and Glamour, donations accelerated, so that she had raised close to half a million dollars in 48 hours. Then came an appearance on The ReidOut on MSNBC and more media, and as of today, the fund is close to $2 million.
Olivia Julianna said in a statement, “When I originally put out this fundraiser, I was hoping we would raise a few thousand dollars. This movement … has truly left me in awe.”