veldigstresset-blog
Can I get a second cup of coffee, please?
172 posts
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
Last Seen Blogs
tangyjdraws
WHAT'S THIS?
drawingsbyklaudia
Art addict
ih8victorzelaya
POP PUNK / SKATEBOARDING / ART
whokilledlaurapalmer-blog-blog
WHO KILLED LAURA PALMER
Video
vimeo
He took his skin of for me
by Ben Aston
4 notes
·
View notes
Link
Imagine the turmoil of discovering that one of your best friends has committed suicide. And then imagine being barred from being able to say goodbye.
Imagine the turmoil of discovering that one of your best friends has committed suicide. That is the agony that Abby Jones was forced to endure the Sunday after Christmas when she received news that her best friendLeelah Alcorn had likely thrown herself in front of an oncoming semi truck at 2:30 in the morning.
We know of Abby because she was the person who shared the now viral photograph of Leelah attempting to be herself and posing in a black and white dress. We also know of Abby because Leelah mentioned Abby positively in a second post that came along with the suicide note she posted on Tumblr on December 27th saying,
"Abby: Thank you for dealing with my pathetic problems, all I did was make your life harder and I’m sorry."
Abby was working as a caricaturist at the Kings Island amusement park outside of Kings Mill, Ohio when she met Leelah, who was then officially and unwillingly known as Josh Alcorn. The two quickly became best friends and Leelah eventually revealed to Abby the fact that she was a trans girl forced to maintain the identity of a boy.
LOOK: New And Disturbing Details Emerge About Leelah Alcorn’s Life From Posts She Made To Reddit
Unlike Leelah’s own family, Abby accepted Leelah for who she was: Leelah, not Josh. Leelah’s suicide came as a surprise to Abby given their last conversation on Christmas Day, in which Leelah came off as particularly cheerful over the phone.
"She was talking about her New Year’s resolutions. It was a really light-hearted conversation," said Abby. "And then on Sunday, when I heard what happened, I was just in shock."
It’s important to note here that one of the common red flag signs for someone who has previously exhibited suicidal tendencies is being suddenly happy after previously being depressed. This can be a possible indicator that a person has come to a decision to end their life.
After losing her best friend Abby found herself in the cross hairs of Leelah’s mother Carla. According to Abby’s mother, Danielle Pieper-Jones, Carla Alcorn called her daughter to lash out at her for sharing the now infamous photograph of Leelah in a dress and to promptly blame her for the public attention that Leelah’s post had received.
"Her mom called and blamed her for everything that got posted online even though Leelah’s page was public," she said.
If the death of her friend and the harassment on the part of her friend’s mother was not enough, Abby was then left out of the funeral arrangements that would have been an opportunity for her to say goodbye. The funeral itself, held on January 2nd, was moved at the last minute from its original location of Northeast Church of Christ in Cincinnati to an undisclosed private location after the church complained of unspecified “threats.” Trans* activists, who had shown up to pay tribute to Leelah, found nothing but a note on the door informing them that the service had been moved.
"My daughter just wanted to say goodbye to her best friend," said Pieper-Jones. "They did not allow her to go to the funeral."
A silver lining in this dark cloud is that Abby and her family have been inspired by the worldwide support that Leelah’s death has received and the difference it is already making in the lives of others. Vigils for Leelah have been held around the world and celebrities have even spoken out on behalf of the deceased teen. The cast of the television seriesTransparent even dedicated their recently won Golden Globe to Leelah. This has made a positive impact on Abby’s family. This is according to Abby’s father Brian Jones, who said:
"We live in a very conservative part of the country. But all of this wonderful stuff has happened because of [Leelah’s death] and word has got out to a much larger audience than I thought possible."
However, he noted that he is still concerned about his daughter being unable to attend Leelah’s funeral and being able to say goodbye.
"I still want to ask her family: ‘Will there at least be a marker for Leelah so Abby can go there and pay her respects?’"
Source: Thomas Alberts for The New Civil Rights Movement
712 notes
·
View notes
Video
Color War: Shapeshifting
NOWNESS
0 notes
Quote
“They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”
Banner carried by student protester in Mexico (via eclecticalexandria)
33K notes
·
View notes
