http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/obama-calls-end-gay-conversion-therapy-youth/
One of the biggest news I've heard so far this week is the breakthrough of Obama calling for an end to conversion therapy for LGBT youth. What is interesting is the usage of social media that sparked this decision. Leah Alcorn was a transgender teen who was put through intensive conversion therapy to revert her back to the good Christian boy that she was. She posted a suicide note, telling readers of her pain and struggles from parents who didn't understand her or try to emphasize with her. This ultimately led to a tragic suicide by jumping in front of a truck.
Her death was spread like wildfire, alongside with her suicide note on Tumblr. The tragedy was then spread around the media to showcase the toxic environment transgendered teens typically go through with no proper support.
Obama has been known as one of the presidents who truly made some milestones in LGBT+ issues that prevail this country. This step of his is a great one to creating a safer country for LGBT+ youth to live in.
Hopefully not just Leah Alcorn's suicide constitutes the end of transgender issues. There are many more dynamic issues that can be addressed such as how race comes in play. Sadly another transgender teen committed suicide too shortly after. However, his suicide was not as widespread as Leah's. A common death of suicide of transgender folks appear to be a person of color. Many instances have been overlooked in the past and present and hopefully the attention the trans community is receiving will not just end at Leah's death.
Friday, April 10, 2015
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I had read on the news about conversion therapy before, in this day in age I assumed that people would be accepted for who they are; but I guess that is wishful thinking. That's horrible that her family would put her through that; to tell someone who they are is wrong and to attempt to alter their self-perception is disturbing. The uproar her death caused shows that our society is at least on the path toward equality. I think it is great that president Obama has made a concerted effort to address these issues, I just hope that the conservative right wing doesn't attempt to reverse all of the great social change we have undertaken. I was unaware that suicide was so prevalent especially in teenagers of color, it is interesting that those events do not receive as much attention.
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