Voices: Matt Gaetz bullied and body-shamed me – so our moment at the State of the Union was one I won’t forget

It is not everyday that you shake hands and look into the eyes of a congressman who has bullied you on a national stage, but 7 February 2023 was no ordinary day.

Last summer, I publicly called out Representative Matt Gaetz for his offensive speech at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit. Now, if I was a member of congress who had been called out by an activist, especially one who had a history of embarrassing politicians, I would be inclined to ignore them. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for Mr Gaetz, he doesn’t have the temper to make mature decisions. He decided to tweet out my photo with an article talking about his speech and attempted to body shame me to his then 1.4 million followers.

Many people ask me what my response was upon seeing the tweet. Honestly? I was ecstatic. I was not a normal teenager, nor was I helpless, so I certainly was not going to let the opportunity go to waste. As a political strategist for one of the largest youth-led non-profits in the country, Gen-Z for Change, not to mention a born and raised Texan, I did what activists do in times of distress – I highlighted the cause I was most passionate about: abortion rights.

I didn’t just wake up one day and randomly decide to become an abortion rights activist. I had dealt with reproductive healthcare issues from a young age and experienced what it’s like first hand to have bodily autonomy stripped away from you. I spent the last few years of my life cultivating an online following by telling young people to vote in the presidential election and encouraging them to vote for Pro-Choice and Democratic candidates. In 2021, Texas enacted the civil bounty abortion ban Senate Bill 8.

When Texas Right to Life put out a tip line encouraging people to report those who had aided in abortion access, I took inspiration from other TikTok users who had sabotaged a Trump rally. I called on my followers to flood the line with “tips.” Within a few days, the tipline was taken down. To this day, it has not returned.

I would spend the next several months speaking publicly and using my accounts to educate people on reproductive healthcare, and boosting calls to action. A few months later, Matt Gaetz would target me on social media.

My response to Mr Gaetz’s tweet was to begin fundrasing for abortion funds. In the aftermath of Roe v Wade, I knew this money would help people across the country get access to care. I sent out some tweets and put out some TikTok videos asking people to donate. I would never have dreamed that by the end of the week we would raise $2.2 million.

I was in shock. My week was spent doing TV, print, and digital media interviews – and a few days later I recived a call from Beto O’Rourke’s gubernatorial campaign. As I walked into his town hall, the entire room stood up and clapped. A line formed and men and women of all ages came to give me their gratitude. The oldest supporter I met told me she was 93 years old and felt much better about the future knowing the next generation had leaders like me. I recieved plaudits online from Josh Shapiro, Eric Swallwell, Hillary Clinton and many more noteable figures.

My campaigning with pro-choice candidates and activism at the White House, Capitol Hill and further culminated in an invitation to the State of the Union from Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She introduced me to legislators I greatly admire like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush, and gave me one of the most memorable and surreal experiences of my life.

Including my introduction to Matt Gaetz.

He walked in our direction and she called his name, saying she’d like to introduce him to her guest. He grabbed my hand to shake it with a smile on his face before he realized who I was. I told the congressman that I wanted to thank him for helping me raise $2m for abortion funds. His face qucikly dropped as his evident anger and annoyance grew. He dropped my hand and immdiatly broke eye contact, saying “yeah, I heard you had trouble spending it all” as he briskly walked in the opposite direction. I shouted at him down the hallway, saying I was more accountable than he was.

Whether Mr Gaetz was refering to abortion bans across the country or implying that I would never need one because I would never get pregnant, I do not know. But what I do know is I had never seen such a childlike irritation on the face of a grown man until that moment.

I can happily inform everyone that I was wearing heels, meaning I did physically look down on him. I would also like to take this moment to give Matt some advice: a firm handshake is much more respectable than a clammy soft handed grab – and attempting to shame and intimidate a Texas Abortion Rights Activist will only end in embarrassment. Something you think he would have learned the first time.

Careful Matt, I might just raise another million to spite you.