Preview

Lela Alcorn Suicide

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
511 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Lela Alcorn Suicide
The topic of Leela Alcorn was a very interesting topic to say the least. By engaging in the suicide of a transgender youth, the usage of Judith Butler seems the most appropriate at the time. I was intended to use Bataiile in as a theory analyst, however seeing that in her essay Gender and Insurbornation she argue the idea of gender categories, I felt it was most appropriate to use Gender Identity and Categories in order to analyze Leela Alcorn’s suicide.

Throughout the semester, I looked up Leela Alcorn’s suicide and viewed news sources ranging from CNN to the Guardian. By keeping in mind the events of the tragedy I was easily able to deduce the sexual theorist most likely to deliver the most insight of this event, Judith Butler. However actually organizing and undertaking the task of crafting the essay for the case study was only started two weeks prior to when the assignment was due; however, I felt that 2 weeks was more than enough time in order to construct a proper essay. I like to think I constructed a proper essay within this time frame.

I would say my own curiosity regarding sexuality played a huge role in which theorist I picked. Due to the modern idea of categories and suppression in a modern society,
…show more content…
By Leela’s parents denying her the right to possess the category of a female, Leela’s self esteem plummeted in which caused her to take her own life. Another new understanding of this would be how transgender groups actually may be submitting to the whelm of society and may actually be doing transgender individuals more harm than good. Prior to completing the case study in never appeared to me that LGBT groups might in some eyes be detrimental to LGBT individuals. By grouping people into categories, the LGBT activist may actually be conforming to a society, perhaps an oppressive

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    A critical intersectional analysis of the LGBT community reveals there are many layers of discrimination inclusive of race, gender, class and sexuality resulting in an unbalanced distribution of power. In our patriarchal society, the cis-gendered, white, wealthy, gay male holds the most power as this figure aligns most closely to the heteronormative hierarchy of power. This directly results in the agenda of said figure to become the forefront of the LGBT’s political movements. As trans-gendered people, who has consequently have limited access to education, opportunity or wealth are the most marginalized; their basic needs are not met or addressed in the LGBT community. Spade articulates the legal ramifications of the marginalization the transgendered community, “The debates about gender inclusion in the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) or the exclusion of gender identify protection from New York State’s Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) are only the most blatant examples of mainstream lesbian and gay movement’s lack of gender-transgressive populations,” (Spade, :23.1)…

    • 770 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    When we have been exposed to a specific role of gender all our lives, it is difficult to accept different scenarios. A different scenario would be when society would not be able to accept a powerful and non-emotional woman, or a very sensitive man. An example of this is children are educated of what roles a man and female play. In Disney movies, such as Aladdin, children are shown roles of women and men. A young girl is given to a man just to own more land. It shows society what role a man has over a woman. Anna Quindlen author of a short essay “Gay” and Gillianne N. Duncan author of “Why Do We Hate Our Bodies?” are examples of how the norms of society shape and make people judge others only because they are different. In “Gay,” Quindlen tells a story about her friend’s friend, about how a family would rather lie about the sexual orientation of their dead son, than tell the truth and be judged…

    • 1993 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Within the article, “Is It Time to Desegregate the Sexes?” by, Judith Shulevitz, there are many different methods used to convey the onion of the author which can be summarized as, in modern America there is a dramatic need for reform in the rights of transgender citizens, particularly for students.…

    • 587 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In today’s society, self harm has become a taboo subject that we often ignore or shun people for. By closely analyzing Michael Thomas Ford’s Suicide notes, Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, Cheryl Rainfield’s Scars and Patricia McCormick’s Cut, I have discovered that this sensitive subject, although rarely talked about, happens more than we think. In Michael Thomas Ford’s Suicide notes, Jeff, The main character struggles with the idea that he has to hide his sexuality just to be accepted and how he copes with it. When Jeff attempts suicide, after self harming for so many years, he can't handle all the secrets that he’s been hiding.…

    • 1231 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    We refer to basic human rights like the freedom of speech and association, liberty, and equal treatment in court as civil rights, because they are fundamental rights that each and every citizen should not be denied on the basis of their sex, race, or religious belief. In the last one-hundred years we, as a human population, have seen many acts of discrimination against our civil rights on a large scale. In Kathryn Stockett’s novel, “The Help” one of those times were brought into light, the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Many say that members of the Lesbian, Gay, Transgendered, and Bisexual (LGBT) community today experience similar discrimination to the black experience of Southern U.S in the 1960’s because of the fight for civil rights, the fact that members are shunned by their area, and how people actively work against the cause that they try to establish.…

    • 1112 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Our society promotes heterosexism in a complex world along with negative attitudes against the more “radical” forms of sexuality and gender-identity. The “veil” can be seen in African Americans, transgender, and bisexuals. The inner conflict African Americans felt with being of African descent in America; transgender and bisexuals also feel in a similar internal battle within their community. Transgender and bisexual members may be a part of GLBTQ, but they are more complex and less accepted. Thus, they are out-casted and unable to be who they are in any community or in society as a whole. The veil they are placed under is harmful because they have no support. The “color-line” can be seen in GLBTQ as sexual orientation versus gender identity; gay and lesbians versus transgender. Du Bois’ theory explains the complexity of having to conform to a society that does not fully accept all of its…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Nevada Movie Diversity

    • 1996 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In Binnie’s novel, Nevada, the author demonstrates what it is like living as a transgender and the challenges they face every day. Many transgender people often face all sorts of discrimination. Basic needs such as shelter and feeling of security are rejected from them. The transition itself causes a huge impact on their lives from attaining a career to creating healthy relationships with their surrounding people. They may be held back from making life decisions for their future. The difficulties they face every day are critical social structures that force them to try to be part of a binary of gender, which is only male and female, and must be performed throughout their lives. This takes this community through a journey to unravel themselves…

    • 1996 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Imagine yourself waking up every morning and realizing that you have to literally avoid death from the moment you wake up till the time you are supposedly safe at home. Imagine that you’re told by many people, who you love, that you’re a sin and that you will burn in hell. Imagine that everyday the people you thought cared for you turn you away and threaten you if you don't change, for some people that is something they can never even begin to understand, but now imagine it happening to someone for their entire life. Laverne Cox, a transgender woman and actress, gives a powerful speech during ‘Creating Change 2014’ (an organization that brings awareness to the LGBT community) she talks about the violent injustices and police discrimination against the lives of transgender women of color as a way to spread awareness of the inequalities of transgender within the LGBT community to those who feel the T in LGBT isn't as important. Throughout her speech she appeals to the viewer's empathy to those in pain through personal anecdotes and asyndeton sentences.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bornstein (1994) states that “But the need for a recognizable identity, and the need to belong to a group of people with a similar identity-these are driving forces in our culture, and nowhere is this more evident than in the areas of gender and sexuality” (3).Transgender people face discrimination because they are not being accepted in society because of their sexual orientation. Also, they are not classified as men or women. They are categorized as unknown .Borstein (1994) states that “In most cultures, were assigned a gender at birth .In our culture once you’ve been assigned a gender, that what you are” (22).The changes that should reduce and eliminate inequality is by accept transgender as a sex category. Therefore, unknown category should be elimininated.Trangendered should be treated equality by integrating them in workforce and providing them opportunities .Also, there should be no limitation based on their sexual…

    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Trevor Project

    • 4923 Words
    • 20 Pages

    Researchers have found that suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender youth (LGBT) is comparatively higher than among the general population. According to some groups, this is linked to heterocentric cultures and institutionalised homophobia in some cases, including the use of LGBT people as a political wedge issue like in the contemporary efforts to halt legalising same-sex marriages[citation needed]. Depression and drug use among LGBT people have both been shown to increase significantly after new laws that discriminate against gay people are passed.[1]…

    • 4923 Words
    • 20 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Women and Glbt

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Throughout history women and people of the gay, lesbian, and transgender community have faced many acts of inequality. Women have experienced inequality in many aspects such as jobs, voter rights, public offices, and other areas simply because of the fact that they are women. People of the GLBT community have faced these inequalities in jobs, society, public offices, and other areas as well because of their sexual preference. Both women and members of the GLBT have emerged to see these inequalities being overcome throughout the last century.…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gender Dysphoria

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the case of gender dysphoria, we see how its transition from being classified as a “disorder” or sickness to nothing of the sort, speaks to how today’s society views the individuals affected by it. “Illness can reflect deeply rooted cultural assumptions and biases about a particular group or groups of people,” (Conrad & Leiter 123). An understanding of the ties of a disease to individuals themselves gives society the tools it needs to declare an illness.…

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Transgenderism In Canada

    • 1205 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Transgenderism have a goal, that goal is to be happy in their skin no matter who says so. In today’s age transgender has been appearing a lot more. Welch (2011) definition of transgender is “an umbrella term, refers to people who feel that their biologically assigned gender is a false or incomplete description of themselves” (pg.53). Transgender is one of the leading outcomes of suicide. It is a worldwide problem and it has been show with research; however in Canada the rates are higher. This is shown throughout the youth populations in Canada. Today’s outcome of what transgender really is can lead to different speculations of what is right or wrong. Transgenderism can lead to many different thoughts and many different opinions. The purpose…

    • 1205 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sexuality and development

    • 1194 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The LGBT member self-identity is a women named Heidi Young who I interviewed for this paper. Heidi is thirty three years old and has been a lesbian her whole life. Heidi says she can remember back even as far as grade school when she remembers she was fascinated in a special way by a particular girl in her class. Heidi says her thoughts were not particularity sexual she was only eleven years old at the time. Heidi can say that she also remembers having thoughts about this girl and weather not if she thought she was cute. Heidi says she remembers when she would look at that girl that she did fell some kid of pleasure by doing so. Heidi said her self-identity was recognized at an early age of knowing she was a lesbian but did not know how to describe or even tell others about herself identity. She also didn’t know how people would feel about her self- identity .It was the seventh grade when Heidi knew that she was not emotional and never had any sexual thoughts about or with any boy’s only girls she had feeling for and strong ones at that and this is when she knew her true identity of being a lesbian. Heidi said about the age of fifteen she did the hardest part of telling her family and close friends about her identity of being a lesbian and there was no doubt in her mind that she was wrong about how she was. Heidi did not know how her family and friends were…

    • 1194 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Symptoms of Being Human, by Jeff Garvin, Riley Cavanaugh, a gender fluid teen, struggles with societal norms and the difficulty of fitting in. When Riley starts at a new school, they think everything would be different and the students would be more open minded about being gender fluid. But inevitably, the students take one look at Riley and already have come to their own conclusions without even getting to know them. “The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl?”(1). Through his character Riley Cavanaugh, Jeff Garvin shows just how essential it is for us to not “judge a book by its cover”, and instead take the time to get to know someone before you come to any conclusions about them.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays