Comment Of course, he went there. Of course, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), when looking for a way to insult abortion rights activists, disparaged their appearance. Of course, when he faced criticism for his words, he felt entitled to share a photo of a teenage activist, directing his many Twitter followers to look at it. Of course. Of course. Of course. I know I wasn’t the only woman who felt those two words running through her head after learning that the congressman targeted 19-year-old Olivia Giuliana, leading others to lash out at her. He publicly shared a message he received. It was filled with attacks and a racial slur aimed at her identity as a queer Latina. The part that can be printed in a family publication says, “I don’t think you need to worry about anyone wanting to touch your fattening body… Here’s a tip for your fight for ‘lifetime.’ Put down the fork and keep your face out of the dorito bag…” Most people would agree that these words are harsh. But if you’re a woman or a member of the LGBTQ community and you happen to be in a position that often takes you to social media platforms, they probably feel familiar too. Very intimate. You’ve probably received similar ones from strangers who felt they had the right to scrutinize your photo and let you know what they thought of your face or body. You’ve probably deleted similar ones from your inbox and, to your chagrin, found yourself thinking about them later. I know we shouldn’t admit it, but these body shaming messages can sting. They can slip right under the skin like a splinter, proving annoying and distracting, even temporarily. If you’re a man reading this and thinking how to shame yourself, that’s no reason to dismiss the vitriol women and members of the LGBTQ community receive. It is a reason for compassion. It’s a reason to wonder how often you get these types of messages compared to these. I know many women who take them regularly. I take them regularly. The jeans in my closet currently range from a size 4 to a size 14. As an adult, I felt confident in all of these sizes. Just as the width of my nose speaks to my Mexican roots, so does my 5-foot height and the thickness of my curves. They are mine. They are me. My stomach may not be flat, but it has adapted to accommodate two babies turned into two boys who now comfortably rest their heads on it when we cuddle. They call themselves ‘fat bikers’ — and they want more people, of all sizes, on bikes When you’re a columnist, receiving critical messages is part of the job. You expect people to disagree with your opinions. I try to answer as many emails from readers as possible, including stylish ones, because I think we grow from having a respectful dialogue with people who think differently than we do. I’m also not easily offended. I once wrote to a reader, “It’s obvious from your email that you feel strongly about this issue, which is why I’m taking the time to respond (and ignoring that you called me an idiot). But when I get fat, sexist or racist emails, I delete them immediately. I do this not because they make me feel insecure. I don’t give them that power. I delete them because they are disrespectful and usually come from misogynistic trolls who think the best way to tell is to claw at a stranger’s skin. These trolls, of course, have reason to believe the tactic will work. They have been empowered by high-profile figures who openly resort to it. Gaetz did not whisper his offensive physical insults to abortion rights activists. He said this via microphone before an audience at a conference last Saturday. “Why are women least likely to get pregnant the most worried about abortion? Nobody wants to soak you if you look like a sore thumb,” he said. “These people are disgusting inside and out. He’s like 5′2, 350 pounds and he’s like “give me my abortions or I’m going to stand up and march and protest” and I’m like, “March? You look like you have ankles weaker than the legal reasoning behind Roe v. Wade.” Some of them have to stand up and march. They have to get up and march for about an hour a day, shake hands, get blood, maybe mix in a salad.” If you’ve been following what happened after that, then you know Olivia Julianna, who publicly goes by her first and middle name for privacy reasons, turned his comments into a colossal victory for abortion rights. Gen Z activist mocked by Gaetz raises $1 million for abortion access in 72 hours After Gaetz posted her photo along with a link to a news story detailing his insults, she invited people to contribute to a fundraiser for the nonprofit Gen Z for Change. As of Friday night, more than $1.7 million had been raised for abortion funds. What happened between Gaetz and Olivia Julianna will rightly be remembered as a million dollar victory for abortion rights activists. But it was also something more than that. It brought another win – one that felt priceless. Amidst this wave of donations and messages of support that followed Gaetz’s actions was a collective stand against body-shaming. It was a lot of people coming together to acknowledge that a line had been crossed and show that they weren’t okay with not doing anything about it. “This movement, this mobilization, this collective action — I’m truly in awe,” Olivia Julianna said in a statement Thursday night after the fundraiser topped $1 million. In this statement she also referred to her relationship with her body. “I’ve struggled with eating disorders and body image issues my whole life, and I was hospitalized last December in part because of it,” she said. “Rep. Gaetz’s comments were reprehensible, disgusting and callous, but I’m glad he directed his bigotry in my direction. Now we’ve turned hate into health care, and people across the country will be able to access abortion services because of it.” Of course, this fact will not stop body-shaming. Of course, much more work is needed to change this part of our culture. After Olivia Julianna confronted Gaetz, a woman who is a professional in a field aimed at protecting people, she tweeted about how she is often embarrassed. When I reached out to ask her if she would allow me to share this tweet with you, she reluctantly agreed. But what he said next made me decide it wasn’t worth it. She knew it would probably bring her more attacks.