Eden Knight, a 23-year-old transgender woman, took her life after returning to Saudi Arabia under pressure from her conservative parents and hired legal help. A lawyer named in her suicide note, Bader Alomair, has ties to the Saudi Arabian embassy in the U.S. She described a traumatic experience of being coerced to de-transition, stripped of her identity, and denied hormone medication. Knight's suicide underscores the extreme risks LGBTQ+ individuals face in Saudi Arabia, where persecution and discrimination are rampant, and she expressed a hope for improved rights and a better future for the transgender community.
I did everything [they] asked. I cut my hair, I stopped taking oestrogen, I changed my wardrobe.
I wanted to be a leader for people like me but that wasn't written to happen.
I hope the world gets better for us. I hope our people get old. I hope we get to see our kids grow up to fight for us.
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