Activist says she raised $1 million for abortions thanks to this Florida congressman

After U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz publicly made fun of her appearance, a 19-year-old activist from Texas returned the favor by raising $1 million in three days to fund abortions and reproductive healthcare services across the nation.

“By calling me out and bringing attention to me, he unintentionally gave me a much larger platform than I had before,” Olivia Julianna told the Miami Herald on Thursday as the the hashtag #ThanksMattGaetz was trending on Twitter.

At a rally in Tampa last weekend, the 40-year-old from Northwest Florida degraded female activists who support women’s abortion rights.

“Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant, are the ones most worried about having abortions?” he said. “Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb.”

Olivia Julianna, who goes by her first and middle name due to safety concerns, took to Twitter to respond to the conservative Republican, calling him “alleged pedophile” in reference to reports of a Department of Justice probe on whether he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl.

“It (has) come to my attention that Matt Gaetz — alleged pedophile — has said that it’s always the “odious.. 5’2, 350 pound” women that “nobody wants to impregnate” who rally for abortion, the Houston resident said. “I’m actually 5’11, 6’4 in heels. I wear them so the small men like you are reminded of your place.”

Gaetz, who last year described himself as a champion of women, fired back on Sunday, sharing with his 1.4 million Twitter followers a photo of Olivia Julianna with a tweet about his Tampa speech. When confronted on Monday by a Pensacola TV reporter from WEAR ABC 3 about his offensive remarks, Gaetz said: “Be offended.”

As Olivia Julianna was berated on social media, she launched a fundraiser Monday night for the Gen Z for Choice Abortion Fund in response to Gaetz “publicly body shaming me.” Not only did she raise $1 million for like-minded organizations from California to Washington, D.C., the political strategist for the nonprofit Gen Z for Change said she also gained about 250,000 new followers across multiple social media platforms.

READ MORE: Gaetz tells Trump supporters he’s a champion of women, scoffs at ‘smears’

Olivia Julianna, a college student majoring in political science, told the Herald she’s tired and still in shock about how things went down.

“But I’m so overwhelmingly happy that we will be able to help people get the healthcare they need,” she said.