Transgender teen cites family bullying in suicide note: #HisNameWasZander – LGBTQ Nation Yet, another suicide by a trans teen... Some people really shouldn't be parents. This story is similar to Leelah Alcorn's, and I wish people would never have to go that far.
Absolutely tragic. Honestly heartbreaking. And how DARE they call him by female pronouns at his funeral? Some people shouldn't be allowed to have children, Zander's parents are a good example.
True. Leelah's parents did not deserve her either. It makes me sad to think that some people who would like to have those children can't, but those monsters can. :bang:
Never forget Zander or his name. The day I found out about him was the day of his funeral, and there's no way to bring him back or fix what happened. I'm sick of having to say mourn brothers and sisters I haven't met yet. His letter is absolutely crushing and it pains me to know what he went through. ---------- Post added 20th Feb 2015 at 09:34 AM ---------- Another kid is dead. Another one, and just yesterday. I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but here's a blog post talking about young Damien. I Swear It Wasn't Me
I'm beginning to really grasp the idea that coming out isn't only something about you and your own life.
I thought you were supposed to respect the dead, or at the very least the recently dead? AND PEOPLE USING THE WRONG PRONOUNS IS ONEDROP IN A OCEAN THAT LEAD TO HIS FUNERAL!!!!! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE CELEBRATING HIS LIFE? USE THE RIGHT PRONOUNS AT LEAST!!!! Her name was Leelah. His name was Zander. His name was Damien. Why couldn't they live lives in a society that accepted them. In a world where we don't bully people for being themselves. For them and for the thousands of trans* individuals who's death aren't publicised. Rest in Peace. Oh yeah, and **** the parents. As a trans kid, I want you to know that I'm glad my parents won't do that to me when I come out.
His name was Zander His name was Damien His name was Riley Her name was leelah I wish I could set up A group home for trans teens
You know, I try to have compassion for the ignorant bigots that the parents of these children are. Clearly, they love their children... but also clearly, they're trapped in an ignorant, bigoted, and hateful belief system that prevents them from loving their children as they truly are. And yet... after they've suffered a tremendous loss... a loss that is directly a result of their ignorance and bigotry... you'd *think* they could get their hands around what they've done. But instead, very often, they simply retreat further into their own ignorance and deny they had any role in their child's suicide. It's terrible for the child, and equally terrible for the parents. It would be amazing if more of these parents could do as Mary Griffith (mother of Bobby Griffith, of Prayers for Bobby) did after losing her child, and come around to being a major advocate for LGBT people. One can hope that some good will come out of these otherwise senseless deaths.
Good news, it is being spread on social media that Damien is still alive and even though he is in bad condition, he still has a fighting chance. Lets us find a way to give him strength.
I read his suicide letter and I was disgusted by how his mother treated him. She deserves to be locked up in an animal cell just like Leelah's Parents. Their parents are Murderers !!!
It saddens me that this has become so normalized. When I saw the title, I thought "which one". "When one dies, it is a tragedy. When a million die, it is a statistic." - unknown
You know what make me sad the most? Reading his tumblr blog, and see this line where he wrote about himself on the side: "my name's zander. I'm trans and here to win." Reading a piece of thought from a person, in a moment when they are still strong, still confident, just make it unbearably sad when that person is already gone, their dream unrealized. I just...I can't stand this.
To be honest, unclear, mostly because social media are not exactly a reliable way to get news. What I pieced together from unsourced and unconfirmed information scattered all over the place was just that his sister is saying he is still alive. The kid overdosed and then walked into traffic. But he is still alive. There may be a slim hope. It is heart breaking to see kids years younger than me committing suicide, and I am not even that old.
That's what I was thinking, like...it's bad enough that it takes the suicide of your child for you to "change your ways", but at least you've changed. At least Mary Griffith changed and realized what she had done and used her life to do better after that. But these people...these parents of transgender teens who refuse to use the right pronouns and basically just deny, deny, deny...it just makes everything worse and seems like their death truly was for nothing. And so sad to die angry with your own mother...
I was so upset about this yesterday. I posted a rant on my blog page about it. Like just freaking love your children unconditionally, why is that hard? You don't have to get it, agree with it, whatever, but freaking try.