Today is the sixth anniversary of Blake Brockington’s death by suicide. This forever-young (18 years old) Black trans man’s story is a testament to why we must support, encourage, and #ProtectTransYouth as they come into their identity. 
Blake became an activist after being elected North Carolina’s first openly trans high school homecoming king a year before his death in 2015.
The publicity at that time took a huge toll on him, but he used his new platform to advocate for the LGBTQ community. He endured hate, particularly online, that made it, in his words, the “hardest part of his journey.”
The newfound visibility also didn’t end Blake’s ongoing depression and episodes of self-harm and suicidal ideation. And it didn’t help that he was also estranged from his family, who refused to respect his identity even after death.
As we face increased legislative attacks on trans youth across the United States and constant misinformation about the trans experience in the media, I can’t help but have a heavy heart over how so much hasn’t changed and, in fact, has gotten worse since Blake’s death.
Every day lawmakers + bigoted folks with platforms try to silence and erase trans youth, urging families to dim the light of the trans youth in their lives.
There’s a noticeable silence on what continues to happen despite us having a Democrat President and supposed representation at the highest levels of public office.
We need all who claim to support us to truly learn about these attacks, denounce and fight against them. Start by reading up. If you find your state on the list, contact your lawmakers and tell them that trans youth and folks don’t need their policing. aclu.org/legislation-af…
Tomorrow @chasestrangio and I will share more action items, so stay tuned for more.
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