Seelbach takes transgender teen's cause to City Hall

Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach took Leelah Alcorn's cause to council's chambers on Wednesday.

Seelbach, the city's first openly gay councilman, gave an emotional nine-minute speech at the closing of council's first meeting of 2015. He read the transgender 17-year-old's suicide note and offered words of encouragement to LGBTQ individuals.

Alcorn, who was born as Joshua Alcorn, died Dec. 28 after being struck by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 71 in suburban Union Township. The Kings Mills teen's death has drawn worldwide attention and engendered lots of reaction on social media and in letters to the Enquirer editor.

Seelbach first read the note Alcorn posted on a social media site, which has since been deleted. The councilman then addressed some of the issues Alcorn wrote about, including feeling isolated and being treated poorly. Holding back tears, Seelbach said in part to the LGBTQ community:

"The truth is, we as a society have failed you. What I know for sure is that with every day, it may not feel like it gets better, but I know that you can get through it. You can survive the rejection. You can survive the pain. You can survive the isolation. You can because you're exactly who you're supposed to be. You're the person God made you to be, and you have the strength to persevere. It will not be easy. It may not get better with every day, but you can do it – I know you can. If no one seems to have faith in you, I do."

Seelbach added: "You are not alone. ... You can live. You can live. You can live."