Transitioning
Through
TRANSPHOBIA
By Chelsea Lucero
Leelah's Tragedy
WHO WAS LEELAH?
Leelah Alcorn was a 17 year olf transgender girl living in Ohio. Originally born as Josh Alcorn, she did not identify with the male body she was born with. When she expressed desire to live her life as a girl, her parents said "they wouldn't stand for that" [15]. She often turned to the use of social media as a way to express her emotions. Specifically, Leelah frequently used Tumblr. Tumblr is a blog based social sharing site, and it can be
personalized to look however the user wants to present themselves. It was clear that Leelah was troubled by reading her posts to Tumblr. Around 2:30 AM on a sunday night, Leelah was reported as being hit by a truck while on a late walk, and she passed away. Her mother posted to Facebook to explain what happened, and she referred to her son and used male pronouns. Later, the world discovered from a scheduled Suicide Note on Tumblr that Leelah's death was not an accident [8]. It was clear that her death was with purpose after living through 17 years of hate and transphobia from those around her. The tragedy sparked discussion across all forms of media. For months following after her death, messages of love and support for the transgender community surrounded her Tumblr, and the publuc even created #LeelahAlcorn to use as a symbol of hope [15].
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LEELAH'S PARENTS
The parenting view of Mr. and Mrs. Alcorn is very different from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's accepting point of view in regards to their son John. In this case, religion was the basis for the intolerance of Leelah's sexuality by her perents. Although religion preaches acceptance of your fellow brother and sister, it also "produces sexual morals and rules which regulate
who is supposed to have sex with whom, where, and for what reasons, as can be seen through religious condemnation of homosexuality and abortion" [1]. When Leelah's parents were asked about why they didn't support Leelah's sexuality, it was stated that "[they] don't support that religiously" [15]. Although they didn;t support her sexuality, her mother still expressed how much she loves her son and that she is heartbroken over what happened [15]. Even after it was discovered that Leelah had passed, her parents still refered to her with male pronouns, and they continued to use the name John. In Leelah's suicide note, it was discovered that she was subject to conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is simply defined as "the attempt to change an individuals sexual orientation," and it is believed to first appear in the 1800's [17]. This attempt to change someone's sexual orientation can range from uncomfortable feelings, to physical pain and violence. See the Laci Green vidoe above for more knowledge about what conversion therapy entails, along with an interview with an individual who also went through conversion therapy. There are many arguments explaining why conversion is not ethical, and it is unfortunate that Leelah was subject to this kind of transphobia. It is no surprise that a treatment which forces someone to question and hate themselves leads to more cases of depression leading to suicide, anxiety, and social isolation [16].
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Although the social norms of the public are gradually changing over time, there is still a large presence of transphobia in the nation. The media feeds on anything that is different from the rest of society. Bruce Jenner is currently going through the process of transitioning. This personal journey is not only being experienced by him and his family, but the rest of the world is getting a "play-by-play" about what his transition looks like. The media presents views about Bruce's transition, and at times there is a subtle sting of transphobia. Bruce Jenner is searching to find his identity, and he is longing to feel like he is part of a group. Because the transphobia is made clear through media, judgements about the Trans* community as a whole are being made. The media is also covering the story of the Jolie-Pitt family. Although some media sources rave about their progressive parenting style, there is also a large amount of people who voice their opinion and ridicule them for being accepting of their child. Some individuals doubt the validity of John Pitt's desires to be a boy. This doubt and concern from the media can also create self doubt for John's personal thoughts as a gender creative and gender-nonconforming child. The transphobia stems from John being different, and not part of the norm. Social media is another source of critical analysis of the Trans* community. The young generation uses social media as a safe space, and a way to escape the realities of their own life. In Leelah's Case, she turned to Tumblr to express her feelings. After 17 years of not identifying with her own body, and the rejection of her sexuality from her parents and peers, she tragically committed suicide. In her suicide note, she asks that her death not be meaningless. She asks for a call to action to change society. With more knowledge of the constant history of oppression of the Trans* community, people can make the choice to give anyone identifying as Trans* the opportunity to be truly themselves, and to not live in fear of rejection.