Leelah Alcorn.

As sad as this is, I am still full of hope. Because that's what we need to help us get through devastating moments like these. I can see the light at the end of this situation. Because it was very emotional, society is letting this sink in and will hopefully do something about it. There are still complete jerks that will never come to accept this, but all it takes are the people that do accept it. We can fight for and give Leelah the justice that she deserves. She only asked of one thing in her suicide note, and we will fight for that one thing just for her. She wants everybody to be treated like human beings, so it is our duty to fight for that.

Always look for the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

My child is trans so it hit me very hard. I keep thinking that it could have been my child who did this. I mean I'm very accepting but the rest of the family is not.

I think there could be progress made if people realize how horrible this really was and how things would have been different if she had been accepted by her parents. Some people will never realize that (possibly including her parents unfortunately) but maybe some will.

 

I know it very sad to hear that a young girl felt that she had no where or one to turn to and took her life:icon_sad:
Sometimes we as parents wants to protect our babies so much we strangle them with our ways and believes. We want them to fit in the "Normal" container so much we forget that pushing them by force will break them. I wish it's a wake up call for every parent with a unique child. Love them unconditionally so they have a safe haven when the world treat them bad.

 

I teared up when I read about Leelah. It is so so tragic and it breaks my heart when this happens. It really hit me hard because I was talking to one of my friends who is trans and they told me they attempted suicide a just days before Leelah died. Only days before. Something is clearly wrong when trans people have a HUGE suicide attempt rate and it's awful to see this. I signed Leelah's Petition on change.org that is against transgender conversion therapy and I am glad so many other people have.

I am also glad that the media is using female pronouns when writing about her because that shows so much respect and acknowledges who she really is. Hopefully many people can learn from this tragedy and prevent this from happening in the future. These deaths need to stop. People need to understand what is going on with transgender youth. The hate and misunderstanding is all too common and hurtful. This should be the wake up call that EVERYONE needs to keep from happening again.

 

Sometimes in death we make the biggest impression and this kid sure has. I've seen a lot of light been shined on the trans community since Leelah passing

 

I couldn't believe how cold and insensitive her parents were, especially when her mother misgendered her in her facebook announcement. She died because her mother refused to accept her or let her find people who would, and her mother continued to show that same cruelty after Leelah's death

 

Unbelievably sad.

Shame on all those who opposed her and drove her to this.

 

I'm sad and angry. I despise what her parents did to her, the way they handled things and then had the audacity to say that they loved "their son" and that their religious beliefs don't allow them to believe in "the transgender lifestyle". No one is forcing them to believe what they do. Rules can be changed if necessary and taking that kind of action against her was absolutely, 100% wrong and they know it. I get it. She was their child and they have a right to cry but it just baffles me. To take that kind of action against your teenage child and then feel sorry for yourselves? No. That's what bullies do. They victimize themselves after the real victim commits suicide, I've seen it and then everyone else who's picked on them pretends like they had the best of times with the real victim.

Like I said, I understand why they feel sad but they still refuse to use the correct pronouns and apologize for their actions. Leelah didn't deserve what she got.

 

I used to have religious beliefs that being trans was a sin. And I left that community. I still struggle with that decision but there's no way I'm going to back to a religious community that tells me that's wrong. Her parents can't blame this on religion. Adults choose their religion.

 

Yes, they can. It's not to say that they should completely abandon it but they could've at least realized that this was God's plan and that everything happens for a reason. The bible and religion is all man made, back centuries ago based on Jesus , created by his followers. This is not God writing all this down. It is someone who was believed to be a vessel but let's be honest. We don't know these people personally. We don't know if what was said to happen, really happened. We just go off what we know, the stuff that was written. It's not something that has to be followed, it can change and they certainly could've changed. They could've tried to see things a different way but they didn't. They refused to do it and used the "We had no choice" excuse. They did and they chose the wrong path.

 

Every casualty of transphobia is heartbreaking. Leelah was one among many who have been driven to such lengths.

I hope that if the God her parents believe in exists, he would punish them mercilessly until their remorse became unbearable. More realistically, we just have to keep raising awareness and remember Leelah and the countless others lost in the hope that we can prevent future incidents like this.

I'm not sure what recourses to law would be possible in this case, but it would be worth giving attention to the petition for "Leelah's Law" - a proposal to ban the horrendous practice of trans conversion therapy that should already be supported by everyone.

 

As sad as this was, like most suicides, I really just want to say something. I feel like we are glorifying her suicide and that's something I don't agree with. I don't think suicide should be glorified because it's something we are trying to prevent in todays society and so far Tumblr has been bitching about rape culture while creating a suicide culture not unlike the latter.

Don't get me wrong, this is a very sad thing, but the sadder is that it happens all the time with teen of different walks of life. I just hate that we are making it out to seem that the only reason someone can change anything in their lives is to end their life.

I also think people are being WAY too hard on her parents. Sure they didn't agree with her lifestyle but that's how people act when they don't understand something. Who's to say in five years her parents wouldn't have felt differently or grown to accept her. If not she could have easily waited a few years and moved out, gotten away from her parents when she got older. We are too quick to verbally attack someone for not understanding instead of trying to teach someone to understand something.

Also her parents are mourning her death. They did love her they just didn't know how to deal with her gender identity. They did what they thought was right for their child even if it was the wrong thing. However I am truly disappointed that they didn't allow their child to be buried the gender that she identified with. That to me is so sad that they couldn't even understand as they buried their child.

The true one at fault is the society that allowed her parents to do the things they did and feel like that was what was best for their child. Instead of singling out the parents, attack the entire community that allows this to happen. These things happen out of misunderstanding, educate those who don't understand.

Also people have to back off the truck (or semi?) driver that hit her. THAT was an accident and I've seen people attack him and that's just uncalled for. Yes he hit her, but he in no way intended to kill her. She was suicidal and she stepped in front of the truck with the goal of taking her own life. Do not accuse him of murder or a hate crime. Because honestly he probably didn't even know she was trans to begin with. Now some poor man has to go home to his wife and kids knowing he took a life and that will effect him his whole life.

Well that was long...sorry about the long reply guys.