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United States X González rose to national prominence as a gun control activist and advocate following the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, leveraging their experience to drive legislative change and inspire youth activism.
X González shared an exclusive op-ed for Teen Vogue's gun control issue, detailing why young people are taking a stand for gun control. They also wrote an opinion piece titled "Emma González on Why This Generation Needs Gun Control".
X González contributed an essay titled "Life After Parkland," discussing their journey into activism, celebrity, and the pressures faced as a 'survivor' after the shooting.
Elaine Godfrey's article in The Atlantic, "The Disillusionment of a Parkland Activist," featured X González's evolving perspective on gun control four years after the first March for Our Lives, highlighting a shift towards deep frustration.
Parkland student Emma González openly discussed their fight for gun control in an article, emphasizing that "Adults are behaving like children."
In an interview with Reuters, gun violence prevention activist X González delivered a message encouraging individuals not to underestimate the power of their voice, stating it "can effect change."
X González wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times, offering advice to young activists: "Vote, Shave Your Head and Cry Whenever You Need To."
Madonna's song "I Rise," released in May 2019, featured a sample of a recording of X González delivering a line from their speech as its intro.
X González, born Emma González on November 11, 1999, in Parkland, Florida, became a prominent American activist and advocate for gun control. Prior to their activism, González was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where they also served as president of the gay–straight alliance. They graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from New College of Florida in the spring of 2022. Their early life included interests such as creative writing and astronomy.
González gained national recognition in February 2018, shortly after surviving the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history. Days after the incident, they delivered an impactful 11-minute speech at a gun control rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, famously proclaiming “We call B.S.” in response to political inaction on gun violence. This speech quickly went viral, propelling González into the national spotlight. They subsequently co-founded Never Again MSD, a gun-control advocacy group, and engaged in high-profile media appearances, including a CNN town hall where they challenged an NRA representative.
Their activism continued to escalate, culminating in González playing a crucial role in organizing the March for Our Lives in March 2018, one of the largest student protests in American history. At this demonstration, they delivered a powerful six-minute silent speech, representing the duration of the Parkland shooting, to honor the victims. Their efforts contributed to the passage of Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act in March 2018, which implemented stricter gun laws. González has been featured on the cover of Time magazine and included in Time’s ‘100 Most Influential People of 2018’ for their unwavering dedication to gun control advocacy.
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