Remembering Leelah

You’re part of our history now.  I remember -- itself well over a year ago now -- when Jenner (everyone’s least favourite media representative) came out and just before she announced her new name she had a TV biopic made, and you, the picture of you I put on the Wikipedia article, the story Emrys and I brought to public attention, were prominently featured. I think that was when I realized just what I’d gotten done.

I’m finally on T now, and moving into full stealth (a state I’ve moved in and out of over the past few years). I can’t say this blog didn’t contribute to that decision. The trans community is not a place amenable to my emotional stability or to the image I want to project. But I’m glad from the depths of my heart I was out at just the right time to find you.

I have friends who came out well after you died. You are our history. You are all of us, in some way.

I told my brother --  a teenager in his own right now -- about this a couple weeks ago. He’s proud of what I did. I’m proud of him for that.

Happy nineteenth birthday. I hope you can embrace it where you are. I hope you’re proud of us.

You didn’t.

Hello! My name is Val and I want to ask you something. I have to send you fan mail becuae my ask is too long.In my art class, my art teacher entered everyone into a National Congretional Art Contest. And the theme is “A Key Opens..” We have to make art about our inspriation in life and a moment that was a key in our lives. And with all the tragic events this recent year with poilce burtality and Leelah’s passing. I decided to base my art on the ones we lost this year: Mike Brown, Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, Leelah Alcorn, and Jesse Hernandez. My theme will be “A Key Opens to Hope.” With the movement for those who were innocent (like I mentioned above) they gave us hope for a better equality fututre..And my question is. Will it be alright for me to draw leelah in my art work? And if so, what hair style does she prefer. I want to draw her how she always wanted to be. I know she wanted long hair..but I’m asking because I want her to be on point..Im really sorry if this was long and if I dragged everything out but I wanted you to understand. If you want, I can post the art works on my tumblr. I just wanted you to know that Leelah, is my inspiration. She is the key that opened hope to everyone. May she rest in power and I’m so happy for her victory. Thank you so much for listening.

I’m proud of you for picking such a strong topic.If it’s respectful I can’t see why you couldn’t draw Leelah for it.This is the reference of the hairstyle she said she wanted, I believe it was posted from her reddit account.We’d love to see and share it when you’re finished - just give us a reminder.

I’m finally after 3 years catching a damn break on South Australia’s hellish transition process. I can probably get top surgery at some point in the near future and maybe even start T. (Yes, top surgery would be easier than T. This system is honestly hilarious in its brokenness.)

So I went to go talk about that on my personal. Embrace the fact that ONE aspect of this mess isn’t making me suicidal for once. I promptly got some guy going “Oh, I bet you don’t live in the US!”.

Yeah, actually, I don’t. If I did and was born in the places my parents would want to settle down in I’d probably be better off because there’s no intense nationwide regulation there and so trans teens can transition earlier and easier if their parents and medical teams are accepting (all the people I know who started hormones or got surgery at like 14 are from more liberal regions of America, and I know multiple peole who fit that description), but regardless. I told him that, and mentioned how it meant I was working within a heavily conservative and gatekept system.

“Well, try not having that privilege at all, but congratulations on your transition process. Wish I could say the same for myself.”

WELL, HOW ABOUT YOU MOVE TO ADELAIDE IF YOU LIKE THE SOUND OF IT SO MUCH, AND YOU CAN DEAL WITH THE FUCKED UP, GATEKEEPING, COMPLETELY AWFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE LEGALLY MANDATED TO RUN THE SYSTEM HERE, AND YOU CAN SPEND $20,000 YOU DON’T HAVE AND TRY TO RECRUIT LEGAL SUPPORT FROM ANOTHER STATE SO YOU CAN HAVE THE SLIGHTEST CHANCE OF GETTING THE T YOU NEED, AND YOU CAN SPEND YEARS LOST IN A BROKEN SYSTEM UNSURE WHETHER YOU CAN LIVE ANOTHER FUCKING DAY TO MAKE IT OUT THE OTHER SIDE. I THINK YOU’D LIKE THAT.