This week, Olivia Julianna stood up to a bully and won!
Applause all round for the eloquent and witty 19 year old showing how to treat misogynistic bullies trying to silence you by shaming you the easiest way they can think of.
Teenager 1 – bully 0!
What happened
Matt Gaetz, alleged pedophile and sex trafficker, insulted and body shamed Olivia Julianna, an abortion rights activist, as widely reported in the traditional and social media. Ms Julianna is currently 19 years of age which she used in her retort after Gaetz tried to bully her a second time:
Am I not a little too old for you Matt? I know you have a thing for targeting teenagers but 19 is on the cusp don’t you think? https://t.co/kmScakMjpz
— Olivia Julianna 🗳 (@0liviajulianna) July 25, 2022
Who is Matt Gaetz?
He is the son of rich parents, a full out Trumpist (who sought a preemptive pardon from Trump last year) and member of the GOP whose brand is based on stirring up trouble.
Gaetz is still under investigation for sex with an underage girl. He recently voted AGAINST sex trafficking legislation AGAIN. Who knew!
Gaetz is a bully and a coward. He still has not had the courage to get back to Julianna himself. Make of that what you will.
Why is it important to stand up to a bully?
The most important reason to stand up to a bully is to call out their behavior. They may not stop with the behavior or may even become vindictive. However, often, they will stop because they never had any push back (Is Gaetz one of those cases? It appears so.)
When calling out bad behavior, others (including bystanders) will take note. It will give them an example that standing up for yourself is possible and (in some cases like here) leads to positive outcomes. This increases the chances that in a similar situation, the next person will speak out and hold their own.
Last but not least, it gives you self-esteem. You know that you did the right thing in calling out bad behavior.
If you can use humor and also maintain the moral high ground, perfect!
What was the outcome for Olivia Julianna?
Julianna used the newly found limelight to fund raise for abortion rights. By now, over US$1.8 were raised!!
I am eternally grateful to everyone who has donated to abortion funds, we’re up to $1.8 million raised!!!
— Olivia Julianna 🗳 (@0liviajulianna) July 30, 2022
But we must turn this passion into action even more!
This link will let you register to vote, in ALL 50 STATES!! Please share!!! 🗳https://t.co/cyF6KOmVYI
Additionally, Julianna has been interviewed by prime time national television stations (starts at 12 minutes 50 seconds in) and newspapers, received messages from political figures including Hillary Clinton and met with many others in person such as Beto O’Rourke. She now is a public figure to be reckoned with.
If you want to support Julianna, then head over to GenZforChange and contribute to a better future for everyone. This fund splits all donations evenly among 50 local abortion funds across the United States.
Following this fantastic story and continued activism of Olivia Julianna, I wonder how much better life would be if we all stand up for ourselves a bit more often. Speak up when an injustice is done. Call out when we see or experience bullying.
What will you stand up for?