Florida student becomes #HimToo meme

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Worldwide recognition almost overnight. Orlando resident Pieter Hanson found himself in the middle of a social media firestorm last week. 

“My phone was on vibrate in my pocket and it was going off like crazy,” Hanson explained. 

Hanson says he was taking a test at UCF when friends started sending him screenshots of a tweet from his mom. 

It showed a picture of Hanson posing in a Navy uniform and said, “This is MY son. He graduated #1 in boot camp. He was awarded the USO award. He was #1 in A school. He is a gentleman who respects women. He won’t go on solo dates due to the current climate of false sexual accusations by radical feminists with an axe to grind. I VOTE. #HimToo”

“I’m like, ‘Oh gosh mom, what did you do,’” Hanson said about the tweet. 

He says his mom’s post blew up online and he started getting a lot of heat. She has since taken it down. 

Hanson says he then created his own Twitter account called “Thatwasmymom” to respond. 

He wrote, “That was my Mom. Sometimes the people we love do things that hurt us without realizing it. Let’s turn this around. I respect and #BelieveWomen. I never have and never will support #HimToo . I’m a proud Navy vet, Cat Dad and Ally. Also, Twitter, your meme game is on point.” 

Thousands of people began following him almost immediately. Hanson says he’s done interviews with the New York Times and Washington Post – and appeared on national TV. He’s gotten a lot of buzz over how he handled the situation. 

“Focusing on the good and positive and the things that unite not – not the things that pull us apart,” he said.