A UAB doctor who works with trans youth said she regretted saying that a trans teen “boldy ended her life” by dying by suicide.
Dr. Morissa Ladinsky, an associate professor of pediatrics who also provides care at the UAB’s Gender Health Clinic, which includes gender-affirming care, was addressing a seminar when she brought up the story of a 16-year-old trans girl who lived in a community in Ohio where she once practiced.
“In the final days of 2014, a local 16-year-old young lady, Leelah Alcorn, of trans experience, stepped boldly in front of a tractor-trailer, ending her life,” Ladinsky said in video of her remarks posted to Twitter. “Her suicide note, written to post on social media about an hour after her death, went viral, literally around the world. Now Leelah was not my patient, but I took care of hundreds of her classmates at Kings Mills High School. But, each day, on the way to work, I passed that spot where this teen boldly ended her life.”
In a statement to AL.com, Ladinsky said she did not intend to “glorify self-harm.”
“I regret my choice of words that has been interpreted to glorify self-harm. This was never my intent. In discussing the tragic event, I sought to convey my work toward a day when no teen feels they must take their life,” she said. “Any suicide is devastating, and I want anyone who is struggling to know that help is always available.”
UAB did not address whether Ladinsky was disciplined over the remark, but in a statement the institution said it “must respect our faculty’s constitutional free speech rights to express personal points of view, as well as the academic freedom they are afforded to discuss their area of expertise.”
“This responsibility applies even when that speech is not consistent with the voice of the institution,” the statement continued. “At UAB, we strive to preserve life, and any suicide is a tragic loss of life. We encourage anyone struggling with thoughts of self-harm to get the help they need. The national suicide and crisis hotline is available 24 hours by dialing 988.”
