Transgender teen girl from Christian family dies by suicide

[browncoatslytherin]

leelah's mother has apparently locked down her facebook, i saw a couple of posts where commenters had sent her messages. while i don't necessarily advocate fighting hate with hate, and i'm sure she is grieving over the loss of a child, i hope she understands the hate she's getting is but a small taste of what her daughter dealt with, day in and day out.

[Toothfairy]

This story is similar what my daughter had to go through with her own friend who was gay. I hope the parents feel shitty and guilty for the rest of their lives. It's sad how grown adults especially parents tell out kids to be yourself and not bully each other but they do the opposite

[busdrivingmom]

My heart breaks reading about this. Leelah did not have to die. I hate parents like this, why call yourselves Christian if you can't accept what God has made. I have know too many kids who have been rejected by their wonderful Christian parents for being gay, marrying someone who is another race, having a kid out of wedlock. I may not like every single decision my children make, but I will always love them and be here for them.

[DaffyDill]

What a cruel death, which could have been easily prevented in this time and age.

When hearing such stories, one really wishes reincarnation to turn out to be a true thing, so Leelah´s spirit would get a second chance to life and to enjoy the happy carefree childhood and adolescence she, as everyone, deserved in the first place.

I can´t open the FB link to her mother´s response. Could anyone of you? What consequences will they have to bear now?

The parents reaction to her death read:

My sweet sixteen year old son, Joshua Ryan Alcorn went home to heaven this morning. He was out for an early morning walk and was hit by a truck. Thank you for the messages and kindness and concern you have sent our way. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

They dismissed Leelah's reality in their message as they dismissed it in life, and seemed to cover up that she committed suicide.

(I couldn't embed the image - hope this is OK)

[Four is Enough]

[

The parents reaction to her death read:

They dismissed Leelah's reality in their message as they dismissed it in life, and seemed to cover up that she committed suicide.

(I couldn't embed the image - hope this is OK)

They wrapped themselves up in self-righteousness and accepted pity when they deserved something else.

[artdecades]

She wasn't just a kid whose parents disagreed with her. She was forced into "christian" conversion therapy. they removed her from school and isolated her under the guise of homseschooling her. I know there has been a lot of debate about abuses with homeschoolers and oversight here, but to me this is a clear example as to why we need that sort of oversight. Her parents took her out of school to abuse her.

I don't believe god is real, but if he is then he does make mistakes. He made a mistake in allowing those a-holes to be parents.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

That's so tragic. And preventable. How stupid are these parents? Even if you don't like something you don't have to shame and bully your own child. Way to kick someone when they're down.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

The teen also had another post come up after, which he said his goodbyes to individual people. To his parents he said fuck you! Good, lest they have any doubts about contributing to his death.

[usedtobenice]

^Her goodbyes, Her parents, Her death

[RosyDaisy]

Hearing stories like this is so sad. God didn't make a mistake. Leelah's family did.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

^Her goodbyes, Her parents, Her death

Oh sorry! I actually was thinking it was a female to male and put "him" on purpose. Dang it!

[usedtobenice]

That's what I figured :)

[Toothfairy]

She wasn't just a kid whose parents disagreed with her. She was forced into "christian" conversion therapy. they removed her from school and isolated her under the guise of homseschooling her. I know there has been a lot of debate about abuses with homeschoolers and oversight here, but to me this is a clear example as to why we need that sort of oversight. Her parents took her out of school to abuse her.

I don't believe god is real, but if he is then he does make mistakes. He made a mistake in allowing those a-holes to be parents.

ass hole parents. You can't change someone

[Vex]

This is so tragic. It makes me even angrier at those idiotic tumblr kids who insist spacegender is a thing and they're so very persecuted when people don't use their invented pronouns.

All it does is hurt the plight of trans kids who really are suffering persecution.

[Mama Mia]

This is so tragic. It makes me even angrier at those idiotic tumblr kids who insist spacegender is a thing and they're so very persecuted when people don't use their invented pronouns.

All it does is hurt the plight of trans kids who really are suffering persecution.

Spacegender?

[Vex]

Spacegender?

On Tumblr there is a big trend for its mostly teenage userbase to abuse anyone who is white, straight, cis-gender (ie. their sex and gender align, unlike in trans people) and male. Being privileged by being any one (especially all) of those things means you get a lot of abuse.

This has led to a lot of the kids being desperate to prove they're not privileged. The easiest way to do this is to claim some form of gender dysphoria or alternate sexuality. But it's not enough to 'just' be transgender or gay/bi. So you get kids desperately trying to create identities for themselves by creating new genders and pronouns. Because Tumblr is a self-proclaimed safe space, if you question the people making these claims you're dogpiled on and denounced as cisscum.

It's actually at the point where it is literally impossible to tell if someone is trolling or deadly serious. Spacegender is something I've seen people claim to be and have seen on the gender wiki (although it was eventually removed). The definition was something like 'A gender that can only be described as relating to space'. There is a website that lists all these utterly ridiculous made up genders with complete sincerity, I'll post it when I can remember it.

ETA: mogai-archive.tumblr.com/genders

Although the archive is laughing at the posts, all the screencaps are from people who are totally serious about their made-up genders.

It makes me furious because teens who are genuinely trans and in desperate need of support seek help from these people and are turned away because they're special enough.

[fun2beme]

My heart breaks for poor Leelah for all the reasons everyone mentioned here, but also for the driver that hit her. Though they weren't at fault, that's something they'll be haunted by every day. Another life changed forever by the parents' hatred.

Sad all around.

[Firiel]

On Tumblr there is a big trend for its mostly teenage userbase to abuse anyone who is white, straight, cis-gender (ie. their sex and gender align, unlike in trans people) and male. Being privileged by being any one (especially all) of those things means you get a lot of abuse.

This has led to a lot of the kids being desperate to prove they're not privileged. The easiest way to do this is to claim some form of gender dysphoria or alternate sexuality. But it's not enough to 'just' be transgender or gay/bi. So you get kids desperately trying to create identities for themselves by creating new genders and pronouns. Because Tumblr is a self-proclaimed safe space, if you question the people making these claims you're dogpiled on and denounced as cisscum.

It's actually at the point where it is literally impossible to tell if someone is trolling or deadly serious. Spacegender is something I've seen people claim to be and have seen on the gender wiki (although it was eventually removed). The definition was something like 'A gender that can only be described as relating to space'. There is a website that lists all these utterly ridiculous made up genders with complete sincerity, I'll post it when I can remember it.

ETA: mogai-archive.tumblr.com/genders

Although the archive is laughing at the posts, all the screencaps are from people who are totally serious about their made-up genders.

It makes me furious because teens who are genuinely trans and in desperate need of support seek help from these people and are turned away because they're special enough.

I feel into an otherkin, transfat, and transethnic rabbit hole the other day.

It was... weird.

[Koala]

And then there is her mother's (public) response: facebook.com/carla.alcorn/posts/10205505216009937?pnref=story

Rest in peace, Leelah. My heart breaks for you. You deserved so much more than you were offered :cry:

It's gone. What was the gist of it?

My heart breaks for Leelah :cry:

[browncoatslytherin]

It's gone. What was the gist of it?

My heart breaks for Leelah :cry:

the quote was posted on the last page, i think. it was basically her saying her "son" died and it didn't acknowledge it was a suicide, basically made it seem like an accident.

however, as i previously pointed out, the post was made on the 28th, likely very shortly after it happened and before the suicide note on tumblr posted, so she may not be trying to "cover up" the suicide, nobody may have known at that point that it was intentional and she obviously didn't get a chance to react to that suicide note publicly before she locked down her fb, more than likely due to bullying messages received from people berating her. she may yet come out and say something, but there hasn't been anything yet. she may very well stick to her guns that her daughter was a boy, but until we know for sure, i hate to jump to conclusions.

edited for riffle/clarification.

[Rachel333]

Apparently she even got Leelah's age wrong, as well as saying she went to heaven when Leelah was an atheist. I can't really blame her for any of it though when it was written right after she would have gotten the news and she was probably still in shock. I think how she responds now after she knows all the facts will say a lot more.

I also agree about feeling bad for the driver. That's a horrible thing he will have to live with even though it wasn't his fault. I can't condone any form of suicide, but I especially think methods that involve other people that way are really cruel. What if the driver had been depressed or suicidal himself? That could make it so much worse. At the same time, though, I know that those suicidal people really aren't thinking rationally.

[Firiel]

Apparently she even got Leelah's age wrong, as well as saying she went to heaven when Leelah was an atheist. I can't really blame her for any of it though when it was written right after she would have gotten the news and she was probably still in shock. I think how she responds now after she knows all the facts will say a lot more.

I also agree about feeling bad for the driver. That's a horrible thing he will have to live with even though it wasn't his fault. I can't condone any form of suicide, but I especially think methods that involve other people that way are really cruel. What if the driver had been depressed or suicidal himself? That could make it so much worse. At the same time, though, I know that those suicidal people really aren't thinking rationally.

Yeah, regarding the age, it could have been as simple as a typo. Considering she likely didn't even know it was suicide at that point and was probably in major shock, I won't harp on her for the Facebook update.

Obviously, the way she treated Leelah before her death doesn't get the same pass.

[moodygirl86]

I'm the mother of a gay transman. This is heartbreaking to me. When my son came out to me 2 years ago, I told him I trusted him to know who he is. I didn't give birth to a gender, I gave birth to a human being.

His dad & stepmom & the rest of both sides of the family are still calling him by his birth name & referring to him with female pronouns. He's dealing with it ok because he doesn't see them that much & has a good support system of friends. I hate to think how it would be for him if he depended on them for money or lived with them. (His dad is a conservative & pastor of his own fundie-lite church. And also very much in the closet himself.)

I have several transgender & gay friends/family members, & I recently lost a close friend because he wouldn't stop making homophobic & transphobic comments on my FB page. He claims to be a liberal Christian but sees nothing wrong with making fun of the LBGTQ community, and says being gay or transgender is always a choice because god wouldn't make people "that way."

If I hadn't cut contact with him I'd send him this article so he'd see just why I, my son, & our friends find his jokes so offensive & hateful. Hell, I might do it anyway.

I wish I could take in & mother every person whose family has abandoned them because of who they are.

FeministShrew, you're a wonderful person and a wonderful mum. I'm just sorry his dad's side of the family are being such ignorant jerks about it.

RIP Leelah.

[eh02]

This is heartbreaking. Every time this happens, it should be a huge wake-up call (although, unfortunately, it never is) to people who think gender identity or sexual preferences are a "choice," as if you can just simply decide to be different.

This poor girl was so miserable she would rather be dead. And people have the nerve to say it's a choice? That she chose to be something so hated by her family that she would rather kill herself? So awful. :(

[moodygirl86]

This is heartbreaking. Every time this happens, it should be a huge wake-up call (although, unfortunately, it never is) to people who think gender identity or sexual preferences are a "choice," as if you can just simply decide to be different.

This poor girl was so miserable she would rather be dead. And people have the nerve to say it's a choice? That she chose to be something so hated by her family that she would rather kill herself? So awful. :(

And even if it was a choice, it wouldn't stop anyone else living their lives. But I think the anti-gay crowd are well aware that your sexuality can't be chosen, and they're freaked out because they know that it could've easily been them at the receiving end of all that prejudice. That's probably why they're so militant.