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Activist Olivia Juliana confronted Matt Gates in the Capitol during his State of the Union address.
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She said she thanked him for helping raise $2 million for abortion rights.
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Julianna and Gaetz got into an altercation on Twitter last year after body-shaming an abortion rights activist.
Ann Abortion rights activist humiliated by Rep. Matt Gates In her State of the Union address on Tuesday, she confronted congressmen and thanked them for helping raise millions of dollars.
Olivia Juliana, 20-year-old Houston-based activist Generation Z for changewas Invited to address By California Democratic Rep. Nanette D. Barragan.
While in the U.S. Capitol, Juliana confronted Gates, a Republican congressman who believed she helped raise millions of dollars for abortion funds after he targeted her online.
“Just wanted to let everyone know that I shook @mattgaetz’s hand and thanked him for helping us raise $2 million,” said Julianna. wrote on twitter“His response was to say, ‘I heard you had a hard time using it,'” and quickly walk away in the opposite direction.
later Juliana Said In a follow-up tweet that Gaetz gave a “weak handshake.”
Last July, Gates mocked abortion rights activists in a speech at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in Tampa, Florida. Gaetz made a disgusting joke about the “5ft 2in, 350lbs” activist, adding:
Juliana In reply he said: “I actually wear 5’11.6’4 heels. I wear them to remind petite men like you where you are.”
The exchange spread by word of mouth, and Gates Share a photo of Juliana with his followers.
Gates later doubled on his commenttold reporters that women attending pro-abortion rallies are ugly and to “offend” those who might find it offensive.
at the time, Juliana told an insider The Twitter exchange helped mobilize people to donate to the abortion fund.
She said she was very grateful for the “spotlight” on the fundraiser, and jokingly sent Gates a thank you card.
Juliana told Insider in August That she used attention from Spats Raise more than $2 million The Gen-Z for Choice Abortion Fund distributes donations to 50 different abortion funds in states where abortion is prohibited.
Gaetz is strongly opposed to abortion rights, A+ Rating by Susan B. Anthony List — Rankings of lawmakers by anti-abortion nonprofit Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
Gaetz did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Read the original article at business insider