On Dec. 30, 2014 Leelah Alcorn stepped in front of a semi on an Ohio freeway bringing her life to a grizzly end. Alcorn, only 17-years-old was transgender. Being raised in a strict Christian household caused her to suffer greatly in the last of her years.
On Dec. 30, 2014 Leelah Alcorn stepped in front of a semi on an Ohio freeway bringing her life to a grizzly end. Alcorn, only 17-years-old was transgender. Being raised in a strict Christian household caused her to suffer greatly in the last of her years.
Alcorn described in her suicide note that she was confused for 14 years until she discovered what transgender meant. She recalled crying tears of joy for having found out there are other people like her feeling the same things she did. However, when she told her mother of her revelation, her mother was not nearly as pleased as she was. Her Christian parents rejected her and sent her to what is known as conversion therapy. Because of this decision, Alcorn chose to end her life.
Though this tragic incident occurred only a month ago it seems as though nearly everyone throughout the LGBTQ community has let this fade into the background. Just another transgender girl added to the list of those taken away from this earth too soon in life.
Transgender is an incredibly tender and taboo subject in our culture. There is mass transphobia in media. Those in support of gay marriage may not be so accepting of the transgender lifestyle. Often times misunderstanding it or labeling it a passing phase. They will dismiss it, pigeonhole them as gay, deny their gender, and commit many transphobia induced acts. Even some feminists will purposefully exclude women that identify as the male gender.
As of now, the life expectancy of a transgender woman of color is about 30-32 years. Not because being transgender is unhealthy, but because there is an immense amount of hate crimes and harassment that surround that particular group. On average a transgender person has a one in 12 chance of being murdered. While a cisgender person (cisgender is when the sex you are assigned at birth matches your gender identity) has a one in 18,989 chance of being murdered.
There is much fear and misunderstanding surrounding transsexuals. Often resulting in violence and severe discrimination because of it. In a study performed in New York, 74 percent of transgender individuals experienced workplace harassment or discrimination. Also, 75 percent were harassed or discriminated against in school K-12. At least 35 percent reported experiencing physical assault while attending school between K-12.
Angie Zapata, beaten to death at 18, Gwen Araujo, a fellow Californian brutally strangled and beaten to death by four assailants, Tyra Hunter’s death caused by being refused medical care due to her gender identity after being in a car accident, and of course Alcorn the youngest of these victims. The list of fallen transgender sisters and brothers can go on and on but sadly it is very rare that any of them are talked about anymore.
The world needs to stop treating transgender people as second class animals. They are people too. They feel love and pain just as we do. They are our brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, sons and daughters. Because you do not understand something does not mean it does not exist, does not mean is to be feared, or does not mean it is to be hated.
