The Washington Post reports one of the survivor activists from the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, will attend this year’s State of the Union address next Tuesday as the guest of a Democratic congressman.
Rep. Eric Swalwell of California has invited Cameron Kasky to join him at the SOTU next week.
In the aftermath of the deadly shooting that left 17 dead, Kasky co-founded Never Again MSD, an advocacy group that lobbies for stricter gun laws. He also helped organize the March for Our Lives protest that took place in Washington, D.C. last March.
Kasky famously told CNN shortly after the shooting, “My message for the people in office is: You’re either with us or against us. We are losing our lives while the adults are playing around.”
He and Swalwell moderated a town hall discussion about gun violence in Des Moines last December.
Swalwell said in a statement he admires the “remarkable strength” Kasky has shown since the “unimaginable” shooting at Stoneman Douglas.
“He stands at the forefront of the fight for action to address gun violence,” said Swalwell. “I’m proud to have Cameron join me at the U.S. Capitol, nearly one year after he faced a horror no kid should endure at school, to continue this fight, because there is no right more important than the right to live.”
Swalwell has called for legislation banning military-style semiautomatic weapons. He is also reportedly considering a run for the White House in 2020.
Kasky joked on his Twitter that he would be running himself in 2020, co-opting Barack Obama’s campaign slogan a bit with #YesWeCam.
And, yes, I am running #Kasky2020 #YesWeCam
— Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) February 1, 2019
Lawmakers have often invited SOTU guests to underscore political statements.
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) has invited transgender service member Air Force Staff Sgt. Logan Ireland to attend the SOTU as her guest bringing the plight of trans military to the spotlight again as the Trump administration plans to prohibit trans people from serving in the U.S. military
Last April, I asked Sec Mattis whether he would thought courageous trans servicemembers like AF Staff Sgt Ireland are a "burden" on our military. This year I'm proud to have Staff Sgt Ireland as my guest of honor at the #SOTU. He’s proof that our #trans troops make us stronger! pic.twitter.com/TAj3sOeXwU
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) February 1, 2019
He is a sweet intelligent
He is a sweet intelligent young gay man.
He is an adult.Â
He is an adult.
Yes Cameron Kasky is gay , I
Yes Cameron Kasky is gay , I’ve read it before.
Have you read it from his
Have you read it from his Tweets, the answer to that is no, because I follow him. He is an ally, no question. Has he said so in public addresses? Again, no, at least not any that can be found in a Google search. I teach high school and the Parkland survivors are still celebrities, and rightfully so. The point is not whether he is gay. For me, openly declaring his being gay is the point. These kids were pilloried in the media, forgetting they are kids who went through trauma. Let them make their own announcements at their own pace and in their own time.
Ed…that boy is queer as a 3
Ed…that boy is queer as a 3 dollar bill. Anyone with "Gaydar" knows this.
Not the point. Most of us
Not the point. Most of us were not shocked Tom Daley came out. The choice of his partner surprised us, but that was due to the age difference. Garrett Clayton was not a shock either, but both came out, on their own. Neither were still in high school, neither received death threats after surviving a mass shooting. My issue is if you are 17, still in high school, and have not declared yourself openly gay, it’s not the job of a website that often gets its facts wrong to do it.
Are you sure Cameron Kasky is
Are you sure Cameron Kasky is openly gay? He has certainly hinted at it, and the going to the prom with David Hogg situation has made people think he’s gay, but that was for shock value. I do not recall his coming out as openly gay. I think he has a great head on his shoulder, he is serious minded yet incredibly witty, and while he supports the LGBTQ community, I follow him on Twitter and if he came out, I missed it.