When Josh Alcorn voiced a desire to live as a girl, the Ohio teenager’s parents said they wouldn’t stand for that.
“We don’t support that, religiously,” Alcorn’s mother told CNN on Wednesday, her voice breaking. “But we told him that we loved him unconditionally. We loved him no matter what. I loved my son. People need to know that I loved him. He was a good kid, a good boy.”
Crossing out the name “Josh,” the 17-year-old signed the name “Leelah” in a suicide note posted to Tumblr.
The note was programmed to publish after Alcorn’s death Sunday. The teenager was struck by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 71 about 2:15 a.m., about four miles from home in the tiny town of Kings Mills, northeast of Cincinnati.
In her interview with CNN, Carla Alcorn referred to her child as her son and continued to use male pronouns.
After the death, a Facebook post apparently from Carla Alcorn said her child “went home to heaven this morning. He was out for an early morning walk and was hit by a truck. Thank you for the messages and kindness and concern you have sent our way. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts.”
Some on social media have seized on that post and reposted her message, crossing out the male pronouns and the name Josh and replacing them with female pronouns and the name Leelah.
Carla Alcorn told CNN, “But we told him that we loved him unconditionally. We loved him no matter what. I loved my son. People need to know that I loved him. He was a good kid, a good boy.”
A Change.org petition has been started to, “Have the correct name of Leelah Alcorn placed on her headstone in true remembrance.”
The petition, which has reached more than 68,000 signatures states, “Having the correct name of Leelah Alcorn on the tombstone of the late member of the transgender community would only be doing what should already be done. On December 28th, 2014 Leelah Alcorn walked in front of a moving vehicle due to her peers and own family making her feel of less value. Her dying wish was to make her death mean something. Let’s make that wish a reality.”
According to the CNN report the teenager’s death has ignited intensely emotional reactions across social media. The hashtag #LeelahAlcorn is carrying messages of support for all transgender people. Many posts are hateful and vengeful notes directed at the teen’s parents.
The Independent reports that a gay rights activist has said that the parents of Leelah Alcorn should be prosecuted. Writing on Twitter, Dan Savage posted: “If Tyler Clementi’s roommate could be prosecuted – and he was – then the parents of Leelah Alcorn can and should be.”
I am Frank “Mike” Davis, Next-Door-Neighbor of Leelah/Joshua Alcorn & Husband of Annie Davis, writing this Comment:
Leelah attended school with my children, and Leelah expressed her utter devastation when Leelah’s parents, upon learning she was “gay”, yanked Leelah from school, confiscated Leelah’s cell phone, deleted Leelah’s facebook profile, and isolated Leelah within her bedroom. She was no longer permitted to associate with my son who shared classes with Leelah at Kings High School. My son supported Leelah’s “coming out” and was one of few people who knew about Leelah’s transgender issues.
Leelah was always kind and soft spoken around me. I deeply regret that Leelah was forbidden to visit our home because my family has always wholeheartedly accepted Leelah without judgment and, maybe…just maybe…this tragedy would not have occurred if we could have shown our love and support for Leelah.
When the grief has been processed, Leelah’s parents need to admit and to believe that they made a mistake, rather than sanitize Leelah’s suicide, before any healing and closure may occur within our Community..
MUST READING for Those Who Sympathize with LEELAH ALCORN’s Struggles: https://www.yahoo.com/parenting/they-loved-their-son-so-much-they-killed-their-108292136718.html