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Leelah's Law is the name of a proposed federal law that would ban transgender conversion therapy in the United States. Following the suicide of Leelah Alcorn (born Joshua Alcorn), activists used social media to promote a petition on change.org, addressed to U.S. President Barack Obama. The petition was launched on December 31, 2014 by the Transgender Human Rights Institute. Within three days, the petition had been signed by more than 240,000 people.

Background

Leelah Alcorn (born Joshua Ryan Alcorn in 1997), was an American transgender girl whose suicide attracted international attention. Alcorn had posted a suicide note to her Tumblr blog, in which she made a statement about societal standards affecting transgender people and expressed the hope that her death would create a dialogue about discrimination, abuse and lack of support for transgender people. Alcorn died on December 28, 2014 after being struck by a struck by a semi-trailer while walking southbound on Interstate 71 near the South Lebanon exit, a few miles from her parent's home in Kings Mills, Ohio.

Alcorn was assigned male gender at birth. Recognizing her transgender identity at age 14, she came out as transgender to her parents shortly thereafter. When she was 16 her parents denied her request to undergo transition treatment, and instead sent her to Christian-based conversion therapy. They subsequently took her out of school and removed her access to social media. In her suicide note, Alcorn cited the loneliness and alienation caused by her parents' actions as a key reason for her decision to commit suicide.

The incident attracted attention across social media and mainstream press, both in the United States and internationally. LGBT rights groups called attention to Alcorn's death as evidence for the problems facing transgender teenagers and called for the abolition of conversion therapy, citing its damaging psychological effects on young people.

See also

• It Gets Better Project, an Internet-based project whose goal it is to prevent suicide among LGBT youth
• The Trevor Project, an organization focused on suicide prevention efforts LGBTQ people

References

1. "200,000 sign petition on transgender law". USA Today. 3 January 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
2. Mintz, Zoe (31 December 2014). "Leelah Alcorn's Transgender Suicide Sparks 'Leelah's Law' Petition To Ban Conversion Therapy". International Business Times. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
3. Vicar, Nathan; Danser, Courtney (3 January 2015). "Leelah's law Change.org petition receives 233K signatures in two days". 19 Action News. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
4. Johnson, Liam (3 January 2015). "Over 200,000 people demand Obama enacts 'Leelah's Law' to protect trans youth". Gay Star News. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
5. Herskovitz, Jon (31 December 2014). "Suicide note of transgender Ohio teen inspires call to help others". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
6. Jackson, Debi (31 December 2014). "Press Release: Leelah Alcorn Suicide – A Call to End Conversion Therapy". leelahslaw.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
7. Molski, Henry (30 December 2014). "Boy, 17, hit and killed by semi on I-71". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
8. "Transgender teen struck and killed on Ohio interstate in apparent suicide". LGBTQ Nation. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
9. ^ Ennis, Dawn (31 December 2014). "Laws Proposed to Protect Trans Youth As Leelah Alcorn's Death Rallies Thousands". Advocate (magazine). Retrieved 3 January 2015.
10. Foster, Peter (1 January 2015). "US teenager refused permission to change sex by Christian parents commits suicide". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 January 2015.

External links

• Leelahslaw.com, an organization working to end conversion therapy

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