Leelah was a female-identifying trans* youth dealing with depression and living in an unsupportive home. Her death was not so much a suicide as it was a murder, and what happened to her is worth grieving and should outrage any reasonable person. However, no trans* lives matter more than others, and all trans* lives matter immeasurably. Trans* folks of color who are murdered in the same way rarely receive the same amount of attention that Leelah has received, even though they are no less human. Racism and transphobia are interconnected oppressions, and trans* folks of color (especially trans women) are statistically far more likely to be affected by transphobic violence than are white trans* folks. We must not forget the intersectional nature of privilege and oppression. Whiteness may not cancel transness, but transness definitely does not cancel whiteness in any way, either, and it dangerous to think that this is so. Though we must remember Leelah, we must also remember the names and stories of trans* people of color who have also passed -- Marsha P. Johnson, Islan Nettles, Sun Kim, Sylvia Rivera, Tiffany Edwards, Zoraida Reyes, Kandy Hall, Yazmin Shancez, Eisha Love and so many countless others. They deserve to be heard just as loudly and just as often.
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 03:55:21 +0000
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