Content Warning: This article discusses the death of Eden Knight and contains mentions of suicide.
Eden Knight took her own life after family, lawyers and ‘fixers’ forced her to de-transition. We mourn the life of this young woman and send our condolences to her loved ones.
The death of Eden Knight
Sadly, last week marked another death of a trans woman. Eden Knight was a Saudi trans woman who died by suicide. Knight posted an essay titled ‘Final message’ on her social media platform. Shortly after, her family members confirmed her death.
However, her family referred to her death as the death of a ‘young man’. Even in death, Eden was misgendered. Knight was only 23 years old. She was living in the US up until last year. In her twitter post, that Eden Knight had scheduled to be released before her death, she explains the reasons for her suicide.
The tweet states ‘if you’re reading this, I’ve already killed myself’. Knight explains that she killed herself due to being pressured to return to Saudi Arabia. Once there, she was not allowed to access her gender-affirming hormone medication. Saudi Arabia is not a safe country for trans people, with many facing severe discrimination.
Eden Knight claims that her lawyer as well as her family and the people they sent to get her back forced her to de-transition. According to her post, so-called ‘fixers’ contacted her in 2022 to discuss her distant relationship with her conservative parents. After talking to them, she moved to a temporary housing in Washington D.C., where was coerced into de-transitioning. In return, she would receive shelter and food.
Mentally distraught, Knight’s only option was to de-transition and go back to Saudi Arabia. She cut her hair, stopped taking oestrogen and changed her clothing. In her heartbreaking post Eden Knight expressed: ‘I hope we get to see our kids grow up to fight for us. I hope for trans rights worldwide’.
Trans people under attack
Since her death, friends of Knight have shared their beautiful memories of the young woman. The death of Eden Knight represents the serious, violent crimes committed against the trans community worldwide. The UK and the US are also complicit in this atrocity. States are banning gender-affirming healthcare for trans children, sending the message that being trans is not okay.
Moreover, the Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ+ youth had contemplated attempting suicide. Almost 1 in 5 trans and non-binary youth actually attempted suicide in the past year.
We are here to fight. Trans rights are human rights, and nobody should suffer to the point that they take their own life. Transphobia is killing people. We send our condolences to the loved ones of Eden Knight and hope that they can mourn in peace.