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| Image Source: edition.cnn.com |
The death of Leelah Alcorn sparked a heightened advocacy to and the challenges transgender individuals face and the protection of their rights. In her final note on Tumblr, Leelah, 17 years old, wrote: “The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren't treated the way I was, they're treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights."
Her words conveyed a feeling of vulnerability, and most importantly hope that one day society may understand the needs and experiences of others.
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| Image Source: cincinnati.com |
Those who fail to see the hidden meaning in Leelah’s death could be missing an important lesson in society. Here are some thoughts worth pondering:
Acceptance and support mean the world to LGBT people. Leelah didn’t commit suicide because she didn’t want to live. She ended her life to escape the living hell her parents had given her. She experienced terrible pains from her own family who made her feel that it was wrong to be transgender.
All lives matter. Compassion, empathy, and our ability to identify with the experience of others make us all human. Leelah’s death is a wakeup call for equality. It’s an outcry of spontaneous passion and love for everyone.
Homosexuality is not an illness. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the world’s largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, stresses the dangers of conversion therapy for homosexuals. The organization states that “reparative therapy” and other similar efforts to “cure” homosexuality do not work, despite scientific studies purporting their effectiveness. Some significant evidence also show that such “treatment” is harmful to LGBT people in terms of significant medical, psychological, and other repercussions to the individual.
Leelah’s message ignited a powerful voice of compassion and tolerance not only for the LGBT community but also for humanity. Just as her note asked that her death really mean something, it really did, and hopefully it will bring change in society.
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| Image Source: thelgbtupdate.com |
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