Colleges across the United States have kicked residential trainees out of their dormitories in an effort to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. However for 19- year-old John, who is transgender and gay, losing student real estate has actually left him with a hard choice: Return into the closet or be forced to reside on the streets.
John, who did not want his name utilized in fear for his safety, stated he is now stuck in a little, rural Kansas town where he constantly gets death threats for his gender and sexual identity. His parents, who he stated are aware of the risks and constant harassment, refuse to use the name and pronouns he passes, and routinely threaten to kick him out if he doesn’t hide his gender identity and sexual preference.
When they believed him of being transgender a few years prior, he said they required him to go to church. They do not want his gender identity to be public since it puts their tasks at risk, he said.
” I don’t know what genuine love feels like. I thought that they love me, at least enough to help me through this,” John informed CBS News.
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Those who are LGBTQ are more at threat than the general population of having self-destructive ideas or trying suicide, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and almost half of transgender adults have thought about suicide in the previous year.