Virginia Del. Lee Carter Does Powerful, Brutally Honest Twitter “Oppo Dump” About His Struggles (e.g., being “a male survivor of rape by an intimate partner”)

As of 9 am Sunday, Virginia freshman Delegate Lee Carter’s “tweetstorm” “oppo dump” has been retweeted 665 times and liked 3,204 times, so clearly this has hit a nerve. Among other topics, Del. Carter (D, although he describes himself as a “Democratic Socialist” – Manassas City, Prince William County) covers: “socialists running for office,” “redbaiting,” growing up poor in the South and “around Confederate flags,” being bullied as a kid for being a Unitarian Universalist, being a “terrible student in school,” wishing he could “undo that harm” of having posted “Homophobic, transphobic, sometimes sexist or racially insensitive” material online when he was young, being “deeply conflicted about my military service,” being “arrested at boot camp on suspicion of assault” at age 18, his financial and employment struggles, his three divorces and feelings towards his exes, being “a male survivor of rape by an intimate partner,” being “sure explicit images or video of me exists out there somewhere,” etc.  Not sure I’ve ever seen anything like this before, and we’ll see how it plays out in the 2019 campaign season. But for now, I certainly will say I admire Del. Carter for being so brutally honest and for not holding anything back!

Lee J. Carter‏ @carterforva Something I’ve noticed: the corporate establishment doesn’t know how to deal with socialists running for office. They tried ignoring me, and when that didn’t work they tried redbaiting. That didn’t work either, so they’re smearing @Ocasio2018 and @SalazarSenate18 (1/15)  10:41 PM – 7 Sep 2018

Which means they’ll probably try personal smears on my reelection campaign next year. Anything to avoid substantive discussion on how our economy should function, because they know that’s a threat to their unjust power over the lives and politics of working people (2/15)

So here are some of the things you can expect to be used against me. Growing up, my family’s income varied a lot. Some years were good, other years we had kerosene heaters in the living room because we couldn’t afford to heat the whole house. Good years don’t negate that. (3/15)

I was raised in small towns in the South, which means I grew up around confederate flags. Never owned one, but didn’t always have the same revulsion to them that I do now. Largely because for a long time I didn’t know any better. Lost cause propaganda is strong there (4/15)

I’m a Unitarian Universalist, from an agnostic perspective. I was raised irreligious, which led to a lot of bullying growing up in the bible belt. Experimented with various faiths as a young adult, but came back to largely agnostic UU. (5/15)

I was a terrible student in school, and continue to be one in college, but for different reasons. Back then it was laziness and rebellion, now I’m years behind where I want to be and have no degree yet b/c I keep having to quit my classes to go back to work. (6/15)

I’m an elder millennial and an internet early adopter, so my formative years happened on the internet. I said horrible things without realizing the harm of them. Homophobic, transphobic, sometimes sexist or racially insensitive. Wish I could undo that harm, but I can’t. (7/15)

I’m deeply conflicted about my military service. Proud to have served, but that service was stolen by foreign policy that treats human life as secondary to corporate profit and control over the global south. Thankful I never had to go into combat, just fixed phones (8/15)

I got arrested at boot camp on suspicion of assault. It was quickly ruled self defense, and they let me go after about an hour or two. Terrifying situation to be in at age 18. (9/15)

I’ve been fired from one job (it was my fault – burnout) and forced to resign from another (retaliation for worker’s comp). Laid off from many more because the companies ran out of money or work for me. Financial struggle from that includes a foreclosure and a car repo (9/15)

I’m on divorce #3. I have no hard feelings against the first, in fact we’re friends again, but the second and third were extremely unhealthy relationships. I got out for my own health and safety, even had to get a emergency protective order at one point. (10/15)

On a related note, I’ve lived through abuse, including rape I didn’t report because I didn’t expect any justice as a male survivor of rape by an intimate partner. I won’t name her publicly. Struggled with intermittent depression ever since, but it gets better w/ time (11/15)

The custody fight for my daughter got ugly, to the point where a baseless claim for termination of parental rights was filed against me. I agreed to pay arrearage I didn’t actually owe in the settlement because it was cheaper than paying a lawyer to fight it all the way (12/15)

Just like everyone else under 35, I’m sure explicit images or video of me exists out there somewhere. Unlike Anthony Weiner, I never sent them unsolicited, and never while I was in a relationship. That’s just a reality of dating in the smartphone era. (13/15)

To all the Republicans who are tasked with following my social media, enjoy that oppo dump. Have fun in 2019. (15/15)