Lesbian Teen Commits Suicide After Being Beaten By Her Mother
An 18-year-old lesbian in the rural South African town of Bethlehem committed suicide last week after reportedly facing abuse from her homophobic family.
Her mother confessed to Health24 that she physically attacked her daughter shortly before her death.
My son came to me and said not only was my daughter smoking at the truck shop, but that she was a lesbian... I was so angry. I waited for her and when she got in I couldn't hold myself back. I slapped her so hard and took a belt to her and beat her.
That day I went straight to my bedroom and left her to cry by herself.
Her daughter's body was discovered the next day.
"That’s when I knew why she took her life and it was too late for me to bring her back," said the grieving mother. If only we had been able to talk in a calm manner, but I reacted badly. I blame myself for my child’s death."
In a letter addressed to her mom, the daughter wrote "I just wanted you to accept me for who I want to be, mom. I am a lesbian."
South Africa has a complex relationship with it's LGBT community: It's constitution was the first in the world to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and South Africa was the fifth country worldwide to legalize same-sex marriage. But gay people, especially in rural areas, face considerable hardship—including social stigma, violence and (for lesbians) so-called corrective rape.
If you are in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe place to talk, counseling is available through The Trevor Project or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (Those outside the U.S. can visit Suicide.org for more info.)
h/t: Accidental Bear
