U.S.
Philadelphia Man Commits Suicide After Being Harassed for Dating Trans Woman
Published
4 years agoon
By
Cory Ray
- A Philadelphia man named Maurice Willoughby committed suicide after he was harassed by men on the street for dating a transgender woman.
- A video of that confrontation was shared on social media, causing the 20-year-old to face more bullying online, according to his friends.
- #RipReese began trending on Twitter after news of his death broke, with many mourning Willoughby and confronting LGBTQ issues within the black community.
Video Goes Viral
A 20-year-old Philadelphia man committed suicide after a video spread online showing men harassing him on the street for dating a transgender woman.
The video shows several men verbally berating Maurice “Reese” Willoughby with homophobic comments as he defends his relationship in front of them.
When a man is confident & secure enough to openly love a trans woman; this is the bullying and harassment he gets. When trans attracted men kill us; it’s out of fear that this will happen to them if they are outed. Reese didn’t kill his girlfriend; he killed himself instead. #RIP pic.twitter.com/P4el3duZGZ
— Ashlee Marie Preston (@AshleeMPreston) August 20, 2019
According to his friends, Willoughby already lived with depression and struggled with it more as the video gained traction on the internet. They said the constant harassment he had experienced online played a role in his suicide, though his girlfriend, Faith Palmer, also referenced a drug addiction in relation to his death.
“Over the weekend Reese killed himself after the relentless taunting, bullying, mocking and disrespect he received after publicly proclaiming his love for his girl,” said a person who had been friendly with Willoughby in the past.
“And you know what breaks me about this? Is that when it comes to discussing the weight of transphobia and homophobia in the black community, especially amongst those who should speak up on it, all you hear is crickets? It’s no secret that every community has its issues no matter how beautiful the painted picture is, but damn we oppressed people are still out here oppressing our own people?”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Yves (@the_yvesdropper) on
“That was my friend and everyone who took part in bulling him need to be in jail,” another friend Amethyst Jade Lee said in a Facebook post.
Prior to his death, Willoughby reportedly made a Facebook post defending Palmer.
“Y’all can say whatever about faith,” he wrote, according to Aazios.com, “I really don’t care if she not passable I don’t care if she wasn’t born a woman she is a woman to me & I love her flaws that’s what makes her faith if you heard her story it’s motivating….. I’m happy you should be happy for me”
Notably, Palmer also posted to Facebook, remembering Willoughby’s openness about their relationship.
“HE WASNT SCARED OF ANYONE SO HE FOUGHT BACK FOR US !” she wrote.
Online Reaction
Since his death, people online have shared their thoughts on the situation, many addressing what they believe to be a disconnect between straight and LGBTQ+ individuals in the African American community.
“There’s a HUGE issue highlighted in the video of Reese being harrassed,” one Twitter user wrote. “And that’s that the black community needs to address the RAMPANT homophobia and transphobia so embedded in our culture. Because THAT shit is detrimental. #RipReese“
That being said, there's a HUGE issue highlighted in the video of Reese being harrassed. And that's that the black community needs to address the RAMPANT homophobia and transphobia so embedded in our culture. Because THAT shit is detrimental. #RipReese
— Billy BustInside (@TatianaAllanPoe) August 21, 2019
nah we really gotta talk about the homophobia and transphobia in the black community this shit is ridiculous #ripreese
— pretty flacko (@zjulesns) August 21, 2019
Black people, especially these black men, need to get it together. It’s a damn shame that y’all are so hell bent on what someone else is doing and who that person loves but can’t seem to get your shit together. #smdh #ripreese pic.twitter.com/sfIZe3QkZf
— Momma Mia 😁❤️ (@MrsBobbyNash) August 21, 2019
no but for real, some dudes be like #BlackLivesMatter but when one of their homies starts messing with a trans woman they switch up. straight men, especially Black straight men NEED to do better. y’all be soo busy being insecure to remember that love is indeed, LOVE. #ripreese
— Tiffany (@tifffannyx0) August 21, 2019
According to the Human Rights Campaign, African American trans women face the highest rates of fatal violence within the LGBTQ+ community.
That reality has become more prominent in recent months after two transgender women in Dallas, Texas were killed earlier this year.
Because of the violence trans women face, many posthumously poured praise for Willoughby, saying he was brave for being open about his relationship in spite of all the backlash. That included singer Kehlani, who identifies as queer, as well as several others.
“RIP REESE THANK U FOR LOVING HER OUT LOUD,” the singer wrote in all caps.
RIP REESE THANK U FOR LOVING HER OUT LOUD 🧡
— Kehlani (@Kehlani) August 20, 2019
Protect Black Trans Women and those who love Black Trans Women #RIPReese
— 🌻888⛅️ (@femmeboitoy) August 21, 2019
Sexuality is a never ending spectrum, you love who you love with transparency and truth. And you did just that #ripreese 🦋
— teenuh (@ohhhhitstina) August 21, 2019
We failed Reese. We fail Black Trans Women every day. Black queer people must be able to exist in this world. #blacktranslivesmatter #ripreese https://t.co/Wt0nwo5OiI
— Miracle (@MiujizaMilagro) August 21, 2019
Others sought to criticize the men who harassed Willoughby in the video.
“My heart breaks for Reese, for his girlfriend, and their loved ones,” Pose producer Janet Mock said. “These men screaming at him are beyond fragile, standing on a shaky altar of masculinity, too insecure to do what Reese did: Unapologetically love a woman who everyone says is unworthy of love.”
My heart breaks for Reese, for his girlfriend, and their loved ones. These men screaming at him are beyond fragile, standing on a shaky altar of masculinity, too insecure to do what Reese did: Unapologetically love a woman who everyone says is unworthy of love. https://t.co/9G31RbQ2cj
— Janet Mock (@janetmock) August 21, 2019
Yo, why the FUCK does it matter who someone likes? If someone is gay, how does that affect you? If someone likes a trans person? How the FUCK does that affect you? It doesn’t. Someone’s personal love life DOESNT AFFECT ANYONE SO KEEP YOUR OPINIONS TO YOURSELF. #ripreese
— SeeJay🌐 (@cj_hedgepeth) August 21, 2019
straight people who feel the need to bring down, insult, and antagonize someone based off of who they love are CLEARLY insecure with themselves and you cannot tell me otherwise. #ripreese
— punk (@6lim6) August 21, 2019
If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text TALK to 741741 for free, anonymous 24/7 crisis support in the US from the Crisis Text Line. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
See what others are saying: (The Advocate) (Heavy) (Blavity)
U.S.
White Supremacist Propaganda Reached Record High in 2022, ADL Finds
Published
2 weeks agoon
March 9, 2023
“We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.
White supremacist propaganda in the U.S. reached record levels in 2022, according to a report published Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center of Extremism.
The ADL found over 6,700 cases of white supremacist propaganda in 2022, which marks a 38% jump from the nearly 4,900 cases the group found in 2021. It also represents the highest number of incidents ever recorded by the ADL.
The propaganda tallied by the anti-hate organization includes the distribution of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic flyers, banners, graffiti, and more. This propaganda has spread substantially since 2018, when the ADL found just over 1,200 incidents.
“There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash.”
There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda. We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash. More from @ADL experts. https://t.co/5E1ViE7H18
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) March 9, 2023
The report found that there were at least 50 white supremacist groups behind the spread of propaganda in 2022, but 93% of it came from just three groups. One of those groups was also responsible for 43% of the white supremacist events that took place last year.
White supremacist events saw a startling uptick of their own, with the ADL documenting at least 167, a 55% jump from 2021.
Propaganda was found in every U.S. state except for Hawaii, and events were documented in 33 states, most heavily in Massachusetts, California, Ohio, and Florida.
“The sheer volume of white supremacist propaganda distributions we are documenting around the country is alarming and dangerous,” Oren Segal, Vice President of the ADL’s Center on Extremism said in a statement. “Hardly a day goes by without communities being targeted by these coordinated, hateful actions, which are designed to sow anxiety and create fear.”
“We need a whole-of-society approach to combat this activity, including elected officials, community leaders, and people of good faith coming together and condemning this activity forcefully,” Segal continued.
See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (The New York Times)
Business
Adidas Financial Woes Continue, Company on Track for First Annual Loss in Decades
Published
2 weeks agoon
March 8, 2023By
Star Pralle
Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company.
Yeezy Surplus
Adidas’ split with musician Kanye West has left the company with financial problems due to surplus Yeezy products, putting the sportswear giant in the position to potentially suffer its first annual loss in over 30 years.
Adidas dropped West last year after he made a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and other broadcasts. His Yeezy line was a staple for Adidas, and the surplus product is due, in part, to the brand’s own decision to continue production during the split.
According to CEO Bjorn Gulden, Adidas continued production of only the items already in the pipeline to prevent thousands of people from losing their jobs. However, that has led to the unfortunate overabundance of Yeezy sneakers and clothes.
On Wednesday, Gulden said that selling the shoes and donating the proceeds makes more sense than giving them away due to the Yeezy resale market — which has reportedly shot up 30% since October.
“If we sell it, I promise that the people who have been hurt by this will also get something good out of this,” Gulden said in a statement to the press.
However, Gulden also said that West is entitled to a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Yeezys per his royalty agreement.
The Numbers
Adidas announced in February that, following its divergence from West, it is facing potential sales losses totaling around $1.2 billion and profit losses of around $500 million.
If it decides to not sell any more Yeezy products, Adidas is facing a projected annual loss of over $700 million.
Outside of West, Adidas has taken several heavy profit blows recently. Its operating profit reportedly fell by 66% last year, a total of more than $700 million. It also pulled out of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year, which cost Adidas nearly $60 million dollars. Additionally, China’s “Zero Covid” lockdowns last year caused in part a 36% drop in revenue for Adidas compared to years prior.
As a step towards a solution, Gulden announced that the company is slashing its dividends from 3.30 euros to 0.70 euro cents per share pending shareholder approval.
Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company.
“Adidas has all the ingredients to be successful. But we need to put our focus back on our core: product, consumers, retail partners, and athletes,” Gulden said. “I am convinced that over time we will make Adidas shine again. But we need some time.”
See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)
U.S.
Immigration Could Be A Solution to Nursing Home Labor Shortages
Published
2 weeks agoon
March 7, 2023By
Star Pralle
98% of nursing homes in the United States are experiencing difficulty hiring staff.
The Labor Crisis
A recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper has offered up a solution to the nursing home labor shortage: immigration.
According to a 2022 American Health Care Association survey, six in ten nursing homes are limiting new patients due to staffing issues. The survey also says that 87% of nursing homes have staffing shortages and 98% are experiencing difficulty hiring.
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) outlined in their paper that increased immigration could help solve the labor shortage in nursing homes. Immigrants make up 19% of nursing home workers.
With every 10% increase in female immigration, nursing assistant hours go up by 0.7% and registered nursing hours go up by 1.1% And with that same immigration increase, short-term hospitalizations of nursing home residents go down by 0.6%.
The Solution
Additionally, the State Department issued 145% more EB-3 documents, which are employment-based visas, for healthcare workers in the 2022 fiscal year than in 2019, suggesting that more people are coming to the U.S. to work in health care.
However, according to Skilled Nursing News, in August of 2022, the approval process from beginning to end for an RN can take between seven to nine months.
Displeasure about immigration has exploded since Pres. Joe Biden took office in 2021. According to a Gallup study published in February, around 40% of American adults want to see immigration decrease. That is a steep jump from 19% in 2021, and it is the highest the figure has been since 2016.
However, more than half of Democrats still are satisfied with immigration and want to see it increased. But with a divided Congress, the likelihood of any substantial immigration change happening is pretty slim.
See what others are saying: (Axios) (KHN) (Skilled Nursing News)

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