This time of year is often a sad one for transgender people. Family time hits people hard if they have been rejected by their families. And the reminders that it should be family time are unceasing.
But it can be hard even for those who have supportive families and friends. It was apparently too hard for a Wisconsin 14 year-old.
Alexis “Lexi” Lopez-Brandies recently asked to be called Landon. That makes this a tough article to write because all of the reports refer to the Horlick High School freshman as a girl and use female pronouns…so much so that when I heard that Lopez was transgender, I was unsure what direction of change Landon was pursuing.
William Horlick High School is in the city of Racine, Wisconsin, has about 2100 students and 200 faculty. And apparently none of them knew how the bullying Lopez was enduring was affecting him.
Landon took his own life last Sunday morning. Landon’s parents don’t lay all the blame at the feet of the bullying, saying that Landon also suffered from severe depression.