Exactly two weeks ago, my Facebook newsfeed was flooded with articles about Blake Brockington’s suicide. Although I am somewhat familiar with trans-activism (activism on behalf of transgender and transsexual individuals), I had actually never heard of Brockington before he allegedly took his life two Mondays ago.

 

Brockington was an eighteen year-old who was knee-deep in the trans and social activist world. He, himself, was transgender (ftm or “female to male”) and was bullied for his gender identity (talked about here). Eventually, the bullying, coupled with other unknown factors, became too much and he supposedly stepped into oncoming traffic.

 

 

The LGBTQ community has kind of taken on his death as their own tragedy. His story resonates with them because most of the LGBTQ community has also been bullied for their sexualities or gender identities.

 

Blake’s story isn’t just an LGBTQ tragedy, though. It’s a human tragedy. And I think Blake’s story speaks to two things, both of which I want to address briefly: the issue of bullying and the glorification of suicide.

 

Whether a person believes that transgender identities are legitimate or not, they should never be bullying a person for expressing themselves, especially not to the point where the bullied person desires to take their own life. Youth bullying has very real and very scary consequences.

 

Youth bullying has been a primary cause for a lot of mental health issues, suicide attempts, and suicide completions. It’s a major issue amongst all youth, not just the LGBTQ community. Just to name a few youth bullying victims who committed suicide in recent years…there’s Amanda Todd, Hope Witsell, Zander Mahaffey, Ryan Halligan, Leelah Alcorn, Phoebe Prince…and the list goes on.

 

Basically, this issue shouldn’t be limited in scope. It’s not just an LGBTQ issue – it’s a broader issue. Bullying goes on at younger and younger ages, directed at both LGBTQ students and non-queer identifying students. For more information on how to get involved in raising awareness and helping to prevent bullying at your local schools, you can check out Stomp Out Bullying. 

 

The second issue I want to address is the glorification of suicide. I know anyone’s death is a sensitive issue and by no means am I trying to minimize the tragic effects on Blake’s family, friends, and supporters…but I will say that I find it appalling that some people are glorifying his suicide.

 

I’ve seen and heard a lot of commentary praising Blake for his bravery and knowing when to end his life in order to make a statement against all bullies and anti-trans people. Which is really backwards.

 

Suicide is not the victim’s fault…but it’s also not something to be praised. Blake was not brave for taking his own life. Blake’s death was not a “heroic form of activism.” Blake was not a martyr. He was a victim, yes. But not a martyr. The heroism he should be remembered for is what he did with his life, not his decision to end it.

 

Suicide is a result of mental illness or a last-resort coping mechanism used to deal with severe trauma. It’s not something heroic and the more we glorify suicide, the more we reinforce the notion that it’s okay to kill yourself. Instead, we need to break open communication and allow for people contemplating suicide to reach out for help.

 

For more information on suicide, you can read my suicide awareness post from last semester or fellow blogger Adi’s post on erasing the stigma attached to suicide.

 

That being said, I whole-heartedly offer my condolences to the Brockington family, Blake’s friends, and anyone who felt a personal connection to this remarkable, young activist.

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If you have any questions or comments on bullying, suicide glorification, Blake Brockington, or anything else, feel free to leave them below.