Transgender Deliberately Walks In Front Of Approaching Train For Being Derided

An inquest into the death of thirty-six-year-old Mikki Nicholson, a transgender residing in Carlisle, Cumbria, England, revealed the 2010 UK champion in Scrabble committed suicide by deliberately walking in front of a train travelling between 30 and 35 mph at 7:30 evening on Nov. 7, 2014 at Great Corby signal box, Carlisle. She died on the spot.

Nicholson, according to the inquest, was unhappy months before her death because she could not leave Carlisle for Newcastle for fear of being homeless. Clive Guyo, a community psychiatric nurse who supported Nicholson, said Nicholson wanted to leave Carlisle because she was derided on the street for being different and “she felt stigmatised” for being transsexual.

Nicholson lived in a flat, but she was informed that if she would leave, she would be categorised as “intentionally homeless." And since she did not have money to pay for deposit for a private place, she would have to settle for social housing, which is scarce elsewhere.

He added Nicholson had already pondered the possibility of suicide after her visit to Manchester. She was frightened to return to Carlisle.

“She described Carlisle as hostile to people who are different. She spoke of facing verbal abuse while walking in the streets because of how she appeared to other people. Schoolchildren were often the worst for making fun of her and verbally abusing her,” Guyo was quoted by the Independent.

Five weeks prior to her death, Guyo said he could not contact Nicholson and even went as far as paying her a visit to offer help on how to resolve the latter's accommodation problem. Leslie-Ann Fey said in a statement she met Nicholson for the first time on the day of her death. She narrated that earlier on Nov. 7, they met for chit chats over drinks and meal at Carlisle’s Sportsman Inn. Fey continued Nicholson did not manifest any signs of causing concerns as she was happy during their conversations. They parted somewhere close to Carlisle train station, after exchanging phone numbers.

A witness to the tragedy, Jonathan Hammond, narrated he saw Nicholson advanced on the train tracks, turned around to face the approaching train and stood her ground while outstretching her arms horizontally.

Nicholson's tragic end is not isolated as thousands of transsexuals from across the globe suffer derisions and mockery for their sexual preference. Sadly, not many of today can readily accept homosexuals, much less transgenders as part of society.

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