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submitted 10 months ago by Salamendacious@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

An Alabama preacher and politician killed himself Friday two days after being outed for having a secret life he shared online as a “transgender curvy girl.”

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[-] papalonian@lemmy.world 149 points 10 months ago

There's probably gonna be a lot of trolls in here, but I have to say this is incredibly sad. I do hope his sermons preached love and acceptance rather than the hate that caused him to take his life.

[-] Elliott@lemmy.world 71 points 10 months ago

The guy supported the party that routinely shits on minority groups....but when they turn in him it's sad? He fed the rapid dog that turned and bit him.

[-] papalonian@lemmy.world 48 points 10 months ago

Yes, I find it sad when someone is driven to suicide. It's weird, I know.

I feel that a man who dresses up as a woman in their free time did not decide for himself that gay/trans people are evil. This man probably had been lying to himself and others about who he was for decades, living through self-hate and trying to convince himself that he was "normal" and not "one of those fags" and the like.

Now that he's accepted himself and thought that he was safe to express who he was in private online communities (obviously stupid for someone in his position), his whole world is coming down on him. Now everyone knows he's "one of them".

I don't know enough about the guy to comment with certainty on what harm he may have caused as mayor, if he actively made life harder for gay/ trans people then that's really shitty of him. All I'm saying is, things don't happen in a vacuum, and this guy is just as much a victim of hate and bigotry as anyone else who's killed themselves over it.

[-] Elliott@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

He supported a party of hate and bigotry but let's all feel bad when that same hate and bigotry are directed at him.

[-] papalonian@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

It's amazing how many of you are only capable of seeing the world in black and white.

[-] ChrisLicht@lemm.ee 3 points 10 months ago

This isn’t a a gotcha: Are you gay or trans? Have you lived in a deeply red, effectively theocratic area of the American south or west?

[-] papalonian@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago
[-] ThatFembyWho 35 points 10 months ago

It's easy for me to judge living in anonymity in a progressive city with a supporting network around me (I'm trans).

More likely she was raised conservative, built a career and family around it, in a small southern town where maintaining that facade is the only way to be accepted, then realized "oh shit I'm trans" and panicked.

At that point, I can totally understand how difficult it would be to escape decades of baggage. Many trans ppl are reluctant to come out for precisely those reasons: career, family, lack of acceptance. The result is turmoil.

I view her more as a lost trans sibling who was born into a cruel world and should be mourned, while not excusing her poor choices of political affiliation. I'm sure it was a daily struggle trying to reconcile what conservatives were saying about people like her, with her own identity.

Not everyone is strong enough to fight this fight.

[-] Elliott@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

She supported a party that hates trans people. Nobody could have seen this coming. 🙄

[-] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 18 points 10 months ago

Seriously. He wouldn't have killed himself if he was surrounded by accepting people.

It's still tragic that someone felt they couldn't be themself, but when you spend your time empowering intolerance and then find yourself a target of that intolerance? I have no tears to spare.

this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2023
461 points (100.0% liked)

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