Quote from: jesse on January 03, 2015, 03:21:17 PM
well its been so long since ive been on here I don't really know anybody anymore

I remember you Jesse 

I don't think I have anything to add to what has already been written about this girl. It is just a horrible tragedy that the parents can't see or accept the beautiful daughter they had. There are lots of parents out there with the same warped viewpoint. Leelah's parents attend a church that I am intimately familiar with since I was raised in that church; that church denomination is extremely, extremely fundamental and narrow in their religious interpretation and view. Thus, what happened to Leelah.

My own parents still associate with that church and they too have rejected me because of their religious beliefs.

The healing for all of this has to begin in those churches - they must learn to reflect the love of the person that they claim to represent. Some churches have learned that they were wrong and have made progress in this area while others have not.

Quote from: Asche on January 04, 2015, 09:40:20 PM
Now I'm worried that my rather pessimistic post may have destroyed your hope.

I'd say that "better" is relative, and that sometimes you can make changes in your life that make things better or (equivalently) less bad.

My pessimism comes from the fact that my life is not where I'd hoped it would be, and also from the recognition that in many ways, the fact that I'm as well off as I am is more dumb luck or privilege than my own doing (survivor guilt?)  But I do recognize that my life is immesurably better than it was at its low point, and there were definite times when my quality of life made a sudden jump.  Two in particular:

The first was getting out of a school that not only thought they were supposed to turn me (well, all the students) into What Boys Are Supposed To Be, even if it kills them, but had the resources to do so.  It almost did kill me, and if I'd had to stay there until I was 18, I might have done something like what Leelah did.   When I finally got my parents to send me to the public school (which also had the same mindset, but had too many bigger problems to spend much time oppressing me), things got a whole lot better (well, less bad.)  It took something like 5 years for me to recover enough to see it, though.

The second big improvement came when I left the South.   I found the South stifling.  There was no room to be different or to have any idea that wasn't around when Robert E Lee had his glory days.  I notice from previous posts that you are in Tennessee.  You might want to consider whether things would be easier for you in a more open-minded part of the USA.  I'm considering transitioning, and it's scary enough even here in the NYC area -- I wouldn't dream of trying it if I had to do it in a place like where I grew up.

What I'm suggesting is that sometimes you can take specific steps to improve your situation, and even if you can't do them now, perhaps just having a timeframe for when you can do something to improve things may make it easier to bear the misery of the present.  BTW, "improve" doesn't necessarily mean transition.  It might simply mean being in a place where it's safe(r) to express more of who you are.  You don't have to solve all of your problems/issues at once.  Just making things less bad can make a huge difference in your outlook.

I've been transitioning quite awhile (medicine wise). But you didn't kill my hope (as it is something I  never had), My life is actually a lot like leelahs (in way too many ways).
So I can understand why she would want to do something, and being seen as male still by others doesn't help. Legal laws in prevention to getting documentation changed, such as license, social security (due to license), and birth certificate. I've faced quite a bit of discrimination in the work force, and at school it's always subtle. Being alone locally tends to cause problems and hate from the family doesn't help. I'm not one for hope but evidence. =3 So you didn't do anything wrong. I'm unable to get out due to these previous problems.

thanks everyone that replied I went to the va to see my therapist about this and we are working on it sometimes when I stumble on stories like this it reminds me of how bad it can get I have signed a petition to help pass a law to make reparative therapy illegal its the only way I can make something positive out of her tragedy I hope everyone of us realizes that help is there please use it thanks family   

Thanks, Jesse , for letting us know you are closer to Ok. I signed the petition too.
We should see this as a time for the community to rise up and fight.

I still feel bad for the driver, Abdullah Ahmed, Leelah's pain has ended, but he will live with that image for the rest of his life. Social Justice Warrior idiots are threatening him , blaming him and accusing him of transphobia. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

As-salamu alaykum Mr.Ahmed.

Quote from: nickikim on January 05, 2015, 09:42:02 PM
Social Justice Warrior idiots are threatening him [ the truck driver ], blaming him and accusing him of transphobia.

Where are you seeing this?

I've looked at all my favorite Social Justice sites, and so far, I've only seen sympathy for the driver.

I've seen all kinds of people blamed -- the parents, their church, fundamentalist Christian culture, Leelah herself and trans advocates (okay, only by TERFs), cis people in general, everybody on the planet -- but I haven't seen the truck driver singled out yet.

http://www.->-bleeped-<-.com/r/TumblrInAction/comments/2r9hba/social_justice_warriors_blaming_leelah_alcorns

Seeing it here, and in a mainstream media story that I now can not find.

I think that is just a few nut jobs, sounds more like racism to me. Regardless, some people like to find any reason to hate.

We need to stop buying into the negativity around this story. If there's one take away message, it's suicide is never a solution, never an option. Never. And I say that as someone who came close myself a few times and, on the balance, am very glad I didn't.