Wife has powerful message for bullies after trans husband died by suicide
Amber Bach (WPSD Local 6)
A woman who recently lost her trans husband to suicide has opened up about his horrifying ordeal with bullies – and said he was targeted because of his gender identity.
Amber Bach’s husband Corbin Ray died by suicide just a month ago after relentless bullying.
“It played a big part in why I no longer have my husband,” Bach told WPSD Local 6.
“You never know what someone is going through,” Bach added.
Wife of trans man who died by suicide says you should ‘never attack somebody’.
“They can have an absolute smile on their face and be fighting the worst demons inside.”
She continued: “It doesn’t matter whether you agree with somebody or not or agree with who they are or not, you should never attack somebody.”
In a video shared by the news network, Bach spoke about falling in love with her husband – and said she loved his smile.
It doesn’t matter whether you agree with somebody or not or agree with who they are or not, you should never attack somebody.
A memorial now hangs in the local LGBT+ centre in Paducah, Kentucky. Dustin Havens, who set up that centre, said that just one word or action can send a person “over that breaking point”.
“We believe that anybody that doesn’t understand, they’re welcome to come down here and we’ll explain to them the struggles that Corbin or Channing or any of us go through on a daily basis.”
Bach was just 23-years-old at the time of his death and had three children with his wife. Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs and to provide a fund for the future. According to friend, he worked as a medic at the US Army National Guard.
Suicide rates among transgender people are alarmingly high.
Sadly, suicide rates among transgender people continue to be persistently high in the United States. The suicide rate among this cohort increased by 33 per cent between 1999 and 2017. Meanwhile, the National Center for Transgender Equality’s 2015 U.S Transgender Survey revealed that 40 percent of trans adults had attempted suicide in their lifetime.
In September, new research revealed that suicide rates are worse among trans youth.
The research found that 51 per cent of trans male teenagers had attempted suicide in the last year. It also found that four in 10 non-binary teenagers and 30 per cent of trans female teens had attempted suicide.
Overall, 28 per cent of teenagers questioning their gender identity had attempted suicide.
If you were affected by the issues in this article, you can contact Samaritans in the UK on 116 123. In the US you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255.
