GLSEN Addresses Nex Benedict Death
By Charlotte Robinson, February 22, 2024
Horrendous news out of Oklahoma where a 16-year-old nonbinary Owasso High student died after being assaulted in a school bathroom. The school sent them home bloodied & bruised without notifying police or seeking urgent medical attention which led to their death the following day. GLSEN has found that 75% of trans students feel unsafe at school & we're already dealing with over 300 anti-LGBTQ bills mostly against trans kids filed across the USA in 2024. Melanie Willingham-Jaggers GLSEN Executive Director stated, “The murder of Nex Benedict is devastating. The fact that the mob killing of this child was carried out by other children is a chilling reminder of the influence adults hold over young minds. When adults propagate extremist ideologies & fuel the spread of hate, it's sadly not surprising that hate crimes ensue. We must name the role that individuals and legislation have played in this murder. Nex's life was taken due to anti-trans hatred peddled by Chaya Raichik (Libs of TikTok), bigoted school leaders & extremist state legislators. These adults must be held accountable for their actions & words. Hate speech, especially when enshrined into law as demonstrated by Oklahoma's transphobic bathroom ban, not only empowers children to commit atrocious acts of violence but also desensitizes the adults in their environment, fostering a culture of callousness & disregard for human life. The tragic reality is that the youth who inflicted fatal injuries upon Nex were indoctrinated with hatred, fed lies & instilled with a profound fear of trans individuals. This indoctrination was so potent that they felt justified in carrying out a deadly assault on their peer in a school bathroom.”
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