Alice Litman

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Alice Litman
Litman in 2019
Born(2002-02-23)23 February 2002
Surrey, England
Died
Brighton, England
Cause of death
Suicide
Body discovered
26 May 2022(2022-05-26) (aged 20)

Alice Litman (23 February 2002 – c. 26 May 2022) was an English transgender woman. Her suicide, following 1,023 days on the waiting list for her first appointment with the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), led to an inquest, which found numerous failures in her care. She has been mourned at numerous events including the benefit concert Trans Mission.

Biography and legacy

Litman was born on 23 February 2002 and was from Effingham, Surrey.[1][2] She had a brother and a sister and identified as bisexual.[3][4] Her mother was a psychiatrist.[4] In September 2018, she sought medical support for her gender transition from her general practitioner (GP),[5] who suggested a "watch and wait" approach.[6] Following a suicide attempt in June 2019, she was referred to Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and in August to the GIDS.[7][8][6] She made a further suicide attempt in December and was discharged from CAMHS in March 2020 for not meeting the threshold for adult intervention.[6][9][10]

Litman was prescribed gender-affirming hormone therapy by the private clinic GenderGP in April.[10][11] She moved with a friend to Albion Hill in Brighton in September 2021, though returned at Easter, where she reported thoughts of suicide.[6][12] She submitted an online form to her Brighton GP to that effect on 26 April 2022,[13][11] and was found dead exactly one month later on the Undercliff Walk in Roedean.[14] Her suicide, which some sources published from September 2023 onwards state happened on 22 May,[15][16] happened 1,023 days after she was added to the waiting list for GIDS.[17]

An inquest into Litman's death was heard over three days from 18 September 2023 by Brighton and Hove Coroner's Court at County Cricket Ground in Hove and was led by coroner Sarah Clarke,[18] who had previously led a pre-inquest review at Woodvale Coroner's Court in Brighton on 27 January.[3] Clarke criticised the funding levels and resources for transgender healthcare services following the inquest and, following a two-week adjournment, both Litman's "non-existent" transfer from mental health services for children to those for adults and the "half-hearted" support she received generally.[18][8]

Following her death, Alice was mourned at Transgender Day of Remembrance vigils in 2022 and 2023, with Kate Litman, Alice's sister, speaking at the former.[19][20] Kate set up Campaign for Alice in her memory by June 2024 with Caroline Litman, Alice's mother.[4] Caroline wrote a memoir, Her Name is Alice, which discussed Alice's life and death and was published by HarperCollins in March 2025.[1][21] She also spoke at the March 2026 concert Trans Mission, which paid tribute to her.[22]

See also

References

  1. Gallagher, Sophie (10 March 2025). "My daughter died waiting 1,023 days for a gender identity clinic". The i Paper. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  2. Brooks, Libby (6 October 2023). "'She just wanted to live how she wanted to': couple mourn their trans daughter". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  3. Nicholson, Savannah (28 January 2023). "Young trans woman died after waiting 1,000 days for gender affirming care". The Argus. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  4. James, Alastair (27 June 2024). "Transgender Day of Remembrance 2024: The family of the late Alice Litman on fight to change healthcare for trans people". Attitude. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  5. Duffy, Nick (18 September 2023). "'System failed' trans woman who took her life waiting for NHS gender appointment, says mother". The i Paper. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  6. Narain, Jaya (8 June 2024). "Trans teenager killed herself after waiting years for NHS treatment". The Times. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  7. "Family of woman who died awaiting gender-affirming care will 'continue fight'". ITV News. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
  8. Irving, Fiona; Mureddu-Reid, Hamish (13 October 2023). "Alice Litman inquest: Trans woman's mental health support 'half-hearted'". BBC News. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  9. Weisz, Ben; Mureddu-Reid, Hamish (19 September 2023). "Alice Litman: GPs should do more to help trans people - inquest". BBC News. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  10. Draper, Joseph (19 September 2023). "Trans people let down by 'extraordinarily long' NHS waiting lists". The Independent. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  11. Nicholson, Savannah (19 September 2023). "'Travesty'- trans people 'let down' by long NHS waiting lists, inquest hears". The Argus. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  12. "Services involved in transgender woman's care 'underfunded', coroner says". The Argus. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  13. Litman, Kate (13 July 2022). "Reality of the 'trans debate': My sister died after waiting 1,023 days for NHS care". PinkNews. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  14. Hossein-Pour, Anahita (13 October 2023). "Family of trans woman who died awaiting gender-affirming care 'continue fight'". The Independent. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  15. "Alice Litman inquest: Transgender services are underfunded, coroner says". BBC News. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  16. Condon, Ali (21 September 2023). "Transgender services are underfunded, coroner tells Alice Litman inquiry". PinkNews. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  17. Mureddu-Reid, Hamish; Weisz, Ben (18 September 2023). "Alice Litman: Transgender woman not offered care, mum tells inquest". BBC News. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  18. Hossein-Pour, Anahita (20 September 2023). "Health services involved in transgender woman's care 'underfunded', coroner says". The Independent. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  19. Hansford, Amelia (21 November 2022). "Trans woman who died after 1,000 days on NHS wait list remembered by sister". PinkNews. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  20. Maidment, Adam (21 November 2023). "'Resilient' candlelight vigil held in Manchester for Trans Day of Remembrance". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  21. Litman, Caroline (20 March 2025). "My Late Daughter's Mental Health Deteriorated As She Waited For Gender-Affirming Treatment. When Will The Appalling State Of Trans Healthcare Change?". British Vogue. Retrieved 23 March 2026.
  22. "Pop spectacle and political defiance collide at Trans Mission benefit concert". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 22 March 2026.

Further reading