Photo by Shane Rounce/Unsplash
Content warning: misgendering, transphobia, violence, hate crimes, bullying, suicide
On Feb. 7, 2024, Nex Benedict, a transgender, Two-Spirit teen of Choctaw descent, was assaulted in their high school’s bathroom by three girls who had reportedly been bullying them and their friends for the way they were laughing. Benedict went to bed with head pain following the altercation and their mother rushed them to the hospital after they later collapsed. They were pronounced dead on Feb. 8.
Body camera footage (TW: misgendering, descriptions of violence) of Benedict and their mother in the hospital was released on Feb. 23, showing the pair discouraged by School Resource Officer Thompson from pressing charges against their three bullies because they would be viewed as the instigator. Benedict had poured water on one of the girls in response to her taunts. Therefore, they would be viewed as “essentially starting it” by a court and engaging in a “mutual fight,” according to Thompson.
Benedict’s death spurred protests and memorials in Oklahoma and all across the country, calling for justice and more information regarding the teen’s death. On Feb. 26, students of Owasso High School staged a walkout to protest the school’s bullying problem that remains unresolved by school officials.
The U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights is opening a Title IX investigation into Owasso High School’s handling of on-campus harassment allegations in response to a letter by the Human Rights Campaign. On Feb. 28, more than 350 organizations signed a letter calling for the resignation of Ryan Walters, the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, for his anti-queer policies that have permitted hostile environments against queer students.
Two weeks ago, on March 27, the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office released a full autopsy report that ruled suicide as Benedict’s cause of death. The report stated that a combination of diphenhydramine (found in Benadryl) and fluoxetine (an antidepressant more commonly known as Prozac) found in toxic levels in Benedict’s blood were likely the cause of their death.
Many groups have criticized how long it took Owasso officials to release information about Benedict’s death and are calling for a more thorough investigation, especially since the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office hasn’t been nationally accredited since 2009.
Several Oklahoma-based LGBTQ+ and 2STGNC+ (Two-Spirit, transgender, gender nonconforming) organizations, along with GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination), have declared that the final autopsy report should not mark the end of the fight for justice for Nex Benedict. In the joint statement, representatives from these organizations determine that Oklahoma legislators and Owasso leaders still need to answer for the transphobic conditions surrounding Benedict’s death.
Oklahoma has seen the passage of many pieces of transphobic legislation, such as an April 2022 bill that requires public school students to use the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate. There are also no statewide protections for queer youth against bullying or discrimination, only highlighting the urgent need to keep fighting in Oklahoma and across the country for more protections for queer youth.
In the wake of horrific events like Benedict’s death, it’s easy to feel helpless. For those of us who are able and willing to join the fight, supporting causes like the Trevor Project, the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, PFLAG, or the Gender & Sexualities Alliance (GSA) Network are obvious paths forward. Contributing to these organizations can take many forms, such as donating time and money and staying informed of recent news and policies. The Human Rights Campaign also has an article on how to support queer youth, which includes encouraging your local school board members to adopt queer-inclusive policies, showing queer kids that you are a safe space for them, and speaking out against injustice. Whatever it means for you, we can all help manifest a world for queer kids like Nex who deserve better — a world where they are loved and respected without conditions or limitations.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please seek help through resources like the Trevor Project Suicide Hotline.
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Author: Emma Blakely (They/She/He)
Copy Editors: Ariana Castro (She/Her), Bella (She/Her)