Leelah was lonely and felt alienated she blamed her parents for the way she felt. She ended her life by walking in front of oncoming traffic on the Interstate 71 highway.
Leelah arranged for her suicide note to be posted online several hours after her death. It got the international attention across mainstream and social media. LGBT activists took that as evidence of some of the problems the transgender world faced.
A new petition called "Leelah's Law" was made. The White House had a supportive response to it.
Leelah's parents were criticized for misgendering her and being unsupportive. Dan Savage, a LGBT rights activist, blamed them for Leelah's death. Social media users subjected them to online harassment. They defended their refusal to accept their daughter's identity and their use of conversation therapy by reference to their Christian beliefs.
Her family was featured in article in a writing piece called "The Christian Chronicle."