Mother Heartbroken by Daughter’s Suicide Blames Transphobic Republicans, Medicare / LGBTQ Nation

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18-year-old transgendered teenager from North Dakota, Haley Gabriella Feldmann, committed suicide on November 12, just six days before her 19th birthday. His parents blame Republican anti-trans policies and inaccessible trans-related medical care for his death.

Feldmann’s obituary – which was written by his mother and has since gone viral – reads: “Her name was boy and so we gave her a boy name – now a dead name. We gave him boy’s clothes, boy’s toys, boy’s things. We didn’t know she was our daughter so we called her son and brother… During her teenage years, she folded in on herself and we lost her.

Related: Hormone Therapy Reduces Suicide Risk Among Transgender Youth

Feldmann loved board games and playing with his dog. She created her own language, loved black humor and called herself “Imperial Empress of the galaxies, conqueror of solar systems, creator of planets and nations, destroyer of stars”. However, as she became aware of her own trans identity, she “built formidable walls that became impossible to cross,” says her obituary.

“She had started to fear the world as she began to understand herself and who she was,” he continues, “and the reality of her situation became apparent.”

Her parents told The Daily Beast that they accept her trans identity. One of their daughter’s siblings identifies as non-binary, and one of Feldmann’s parents, who was named male at birth, is also considering the possibility of a late life transition.

However, their daughter’s desperation intensified in response to the introduction of nationwide anti-transgender legislation and the transphobic rhetoric that became a mainstay during the administration of Republican President Donald Trump.

Her mother said her daughter never wanted anyone to know she was transgender because the young woman feared she would be mistreated and abused because of it. Fear drove her daughter to isolate herself completely from everyone.

Feldmann needed transitional medical care, but the family’s health insurance viewed it as “optional” and “cosmetic” rather than life saving. Feldmann’s mother said the inaccessibility of such care also contributed to her daughter’s desperation.

“We are not a poor family, but by no means do we have a lot of money,” her mother said. “Offering him surgery was not something we could do… If our insurance had covered it, it would have saved his life. She would still be there.

“His life and existence should never have been the subject of a political debate,” she added. “It should have been easy for everyone to agree that everyone has the right to personal autonomy. She should have been comfortable in her daily existence knowing that society found any person and any law that avoided or rejected her existence to be unpleasant and unacceptable.

“Instead, she felt the opposite to be true and it is a shame that our country continues to promote people’s despair just because these people make them uncomfortable. If my daughter had received from mainstream society, the only things mental health professionals insist on can successfully “treat” gender dysphoria – affirmation, validation – she could still be with us. “

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