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Olivia Julianna (/ˌxuːliˈɑːnə/; born 2003 or November 17, 2002[a]) is an American liberal political activist, abortion rights advocate, and strategist from Texas. She was formerly a director of politics and government affairs for Gen-Z for Change. Julianna has maintained a heavy social media presence to encourage civic engagement on issues such as abortion rights and climate change. She was named one of the 50 Most Influential People of 2022 by Bloomberg Media.
Olivia Julianna | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 17, 2002 |
| Alma mater | University of Houston–Victoria |
| Occupation | Political activist |
| Organization | Gen-Z for Change (former) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Honours | Bloomberg 50 Most Influential |
Early life and education
editOlivia Julianna was born in 2002 or 2003.[1][a][3] She lives in Houston, Texas.[1] She goes by her first and middle name publicly for her safety.[2] She identifies as a "queer, plus-size, disabled Latina" and is a fourth-generation Texan[4] of Mexican-American descent.[5] She attends the University of Houston–Victoria, where she majors in political science and plans to graduate in 2024.[4]
Activism
editJulianna uses social media to bring attention to political and electoral news and activism. She is most active on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter, with an audience of over 1 million followers across all her social media platforms.[5]
In 2024, she mobilized Gen-Z voters for Kamala Harris.[6][7][8]
Gen-Z for Change
editJulianna began to develop political content on social media during the 2020 United States presidential election[5] and became involved with Gen-Z for Change, a collective of Gen-Z activists who use social media to raise political awareness and to fundraisers.[5] In October 2022, she became the organization’s director of politics and government affairs.[5] As of August 2023, Julianna is no longer associated with Gen-Z for Change.[9]
Dispute with Texas Right to Life
editAfter the passage of the Texas Heartbeat Act, which empowered private individuals to sue anyone who performs or facilitates an illegal abortion after a heartbeat is detected, anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life created a service to anonymously report abortions.[2][10] Julianna subsequently posted a video on TikTok noting that people could easily submit false reports; the website ultimately crashed after an influx of tips, and the hosting site ended its relationship with Texas Right to Life.[11]
Abortion funds
editIn July 2022, Republican U.S. representative Matt Gaetz criticized Julianna on Twitter and publicly made comments about her body at the Turning Point USA summit in Florida.[5][12][4] She responded by rallying her Twitter followers to contribute more than $2 million to the Gen-Z for Choice Abortion Fund.[13][14]
Recognition
editIn December 2022, Bloomberg Media named her one of the 50 most influential people who defined global business in 2022.[15] She also attended the 2023 State of the Union Address as a guest of U.S. representative Nanette Barragán.[13]
Notes
edit- ^ a b According to an Associated Press report, she was born around 2002 or 2003[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "A teen says she was body-shamed by Rep. Matt Gaetz. She took it as an opportunity". MSNBC. July 27, 2022.
- ^ a b c Stengle, Jamie; Ortutay, Barbara (September 7, 2021). "Activists focus on tip site in protesting Texas abortion law". Associated Press.
- ^ @0liviajulianna (September 6, 2021). "My 19th birthday is November 17th and I want to spend the month of November raising money for a Texas based non-profit. Does anyone have any suggestions?" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c Bass, Dina (December 14, 2022). "Olivia Julianna, the Young Activist Fighting for Abortion Rights". Bloomberg.
- ^ a b c d e f Dao, Dan Q. (November 3, 2022). "Olivia Julianna Wants to Turn Texas". Paper Magazine.
- ^ "Gen Z activist Olivia Julianna urges young voters to support Harris". NBC News. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ "Gen Z Women Are Ready To Fight (with Olivia Julianna)". Ms. Magazine. November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ V, John Lomax (August 22, 2024). "In DNC appearance, Houston activist Olivia Julianna calls on Gen Z to mobilize". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ @genzforchange (September 12, 2023). "Olivia Julianna is not associated with Gen-Z for Change" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Bowman, Emma (July 11, 2022). "As states ban abortion, the Texas bounty law offers a way to survive legal challenges". NPR. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ "Sugar Land TikTok star helps take down abortion reporting website: 'Fight for women'". ABC13 Houston. September 8, 2021. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Jones, Dustin (July 28, 2022). "A Texas teen raises over $700,000 for abortions after Rep. Matt Gaetz mocked her". NPR. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Rahman, Khaleda (February 8, 2023). "Matt Gaetz confronted at State of the Union by activist he body-shamed". Newsweek. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ Blanco, Andrea; Woodward, Alex (February 8, 2023). "Matt Gaetz confronted by activist he body-shamed at State of the Union". The Independent.
- ^ "Bloomberg 50: The People and Ideas That Defined Global Business in 2022". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.