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#RIPReese
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About
#RIPReese is a hashtag cataloging the discussion surrounding the death of Maurice "Reese Him Daddie" Willoughby, who committed suicide in August 2019. The hashtag has also been used to bring awareness to violence and bullying against the transgender community and those who have relationships with transgender people, referencing a video in which Willoughby is bullied for having a romantic relationship with a transwoman.
Origin
On August 19th, 2019, the website Aazios[1] reported that Maurice "Reese Him Daddie" Willoughby had committed suicide. While they note that Willoughby suffered from depression, the article reports, "Friends say a lot of the bullying stemmed from the fact that he was so open" about dating a transwoman.
That day, Instagram [2] user @g0ddessssss posted a picture of Willoughby. They ended the post with the caption "#ripreese." The post received more than 200 likes in one week (shown below).
Spread
The following day, WIlloughby's girlfriend posted about his death on Instagram.[3] She wrote, "All he wanted was for us to win as we battled all his mental demons." The post received more than 23,000 likes in two days (shown below, left).
Additionally, Instagram[4] user @the_yvesdropper posted about Willoughby's suicide. They wrote, "Over the weekend Reese killed himself after the relentless taunting, bullying, mocking and disrespect he received after publicly proclaiming his love for his girl, 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?" The post received more than 19,000 likes in two days (shown below, right).
That day, Twitter[5] user @AshleeMPreston tweeted, "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." They also included a video that had gone viral in which Willoughby being taunted for dating a transwoman. The tweet received more than 3.9 million views, 66,000 likes and 22,000 retweets in two days (shown below).
Several media outlets covered the hashtag, including Advocate,[6] The Daily Dot, [7] Blavity[8] and more.
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
Various Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1] Aazios – Man Bullied In Viral Video About Dating A Transwoman Commits Suicide
[2] Instagram – @g0ddessssss' Post
[3] Instagram – @princess_wild_kat's Post (page unavailable)
[4] Instagram – @the_yvesdropper's Post
[5] Twitter – @AshleeMPreston's Tweet
[6] Advocate – Man Bullied for Being Open About Trans Relationship Dies By Suicide
[7] The Daily Dot – #RIPReese: Man bullied for relationship with trans woman dies by suicide
[8] Blavity – 20-Year-Old Philadelphia Man Who Was Harassed For Having A Transgender Girlfriend Commits Suicide
Related Entries 105 total
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