PA mother mourns loss of son on Transgender Day of Remembrance: ‘Our society failed him’

A Transgender Day of Remembrance event at the PA Capitol mourned the loss of trans people and renewed calls for passing the Fairness Act.

“Some people in the world do more to make the world a better place than others do. Our son, Ashton Miles Clatterbuck was one of those people.”

That’s how Melinda Clatterbuck remembered her transgender son who died by suicide earlier this year during Transgender Day of Remembrance in Harrisburg on Wednesday. 

Clatterbuck was joined by members of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration, state lawmakers and LGBTQ+ members during Wednesday’s event, and she placed the blame for her son’s death on the anti-transgender movements throughout the country. 

“I’m certain that this incredible human being is no longer with us because our society failed him. There are too many in our country who work to create a world where trans people are not only not welcomed, but are persecuted and antagonized and discriminated against. He felt that hate and he saw it increasing,” Clatterbuck said. 

“Ash was profoundly concerned about the anti-trans policy sweeping the nation in the past few years by state governments as well as school boards. He so clearly saw and felt that these bully policies were born out of bigotry and inevitably lead to the marginalization, dehumanization, violence, and even death of trans people.”

State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El (D-Lancaster) renewed calls for the Fairness Act, which adds gender identity and expression to the list of protected classes under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. 

Pennsylvania House Democrats passed the Fairness Act in April 2023, but it never became law because Senate Republicans refused to move the bill through the chamber for Shapiro to sign. 

“We are going to have to pass the Fairness Act again,” Smith-Wade-El told reporters following Wednesday’s event. 

“We’re always looking for the Senate to take up some of these common sense, freedom-based bills that are going to make Pennsylvania a more attractive, healthier, safer place for people to come work, learn, live and love.”

Over the past year and a half, there have been at least five trans people in Lancaster that have passed away because of taking their own lives, and Smith-Wade-El, who is one of six out legislators in the House, agrees that policies and political TV ads targeting LGBTQ members played a role in their premature deaths. 

The Trevor Project released a poll in Jan. 2023 highlighting how anti-LGBTQ+ policies affect LGBTQ+ youth, and it found that 86% of transgender and non-binary youth had their mental health negatively impacted by debates about state laws restricting their rights.

“The deaths of young people like Ashton and River and Taya in Lancaster County are absolutely the result of … a society that has not just failed them but has chosen to target and persecute them with policies and with ads,” Smith-Wade-El said. 

“I do think those deaths by suicide are in part a result of a really cruel and frankly unnecessary atmosphere.”