Leelah Alcorn’s funeral postponed after ‘threats’ against family

The funeral for a transgender teenager who killed herself last week has been postponed after her family received threats.

Leelah Alcorn, from Ohio, scheduled a heartbreaking post on Tumblr, citing her parent’s refusal to accept her trans status, and calling for better education and awareness, before taking her own life by stepping in front of a truck.

She said her Christian parents refused to allow her to self-identify, and told her she was going through “a phase” because “God doesn’t make mistakes”.

Speaking to CNN since her daughter’s suicide, Carla Alcorn said: “We don’t support that, religiously.

“But we told him that we loved him unconditionally. We loved him no matter what. I loved my son. People need to know that I loved him. He was a good kid, a good boy.”

Now the funeral and wake for Alcorn were postponed. The funeral was moved to a private location, confirmed Tim Tripp, family minister of the Northeast Church of Christ in Cincinnati to NBC News.

Tripp said: “The times and dates had been publicised and the family has received threats.”

He went on to say that the family had heard that there would be “disruptions”, and a sign on the door at the church read that the service and wake had been postponed.

Alcorn’s body is due to be cremated.

Supporters around the world are set to hold vigils across the globe tomorrow, with over 6,000 people RSVP’d to one in Columbus.

Dan Savage, LGBT activst, yesterday called for Alcorn’s parents to be prosecuted over her death, and said their other children should not remain in their care.

• Dec 01 2023

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