Collar City Pride’s Statement re: Death of Nex Benedict
On February 7th, 2024, 16-year-old Nex Benedict, a junior at Owasso High School in Oklahoma, was beaten in a school bathroom by three other students. Benedict, along with another transgender-identified student, was bullied by these three individuals starting in 2023. Benedict identified as non-binary and genderfluid and was a straight-A student, enjoyed reading, art, their cat Zeus, creating new recipes, and playing video games such as Minecraft and ARK. Nex deserved protection. Nex deserved to grow into a joyous queer adult.
Instead, on February 8th, 2024, Nex’s life came to an abrupt end. Benedict was taken to the hospital by their family after the attack on February 7th, where they were seen and discharged the same night. Benedict complained of head pain that evening and, by the next morning, was back at the hospital and later tragically passed away.
Nex also identified as indigenous, with their mother citing that their ancestry traces back to the Choctaw nation. (It was reported in early reports that Benedict was of the Cherokee nation, with their mother later speaking out and sharing the above statement.) Our transgender/gender non-conforming/non-binary community and our Indigenous community deserve better, our queer and indigenous youth deserve to become queer and indigenous adults.
Oklahoma, the state where this atrocity took place, has been at the forefront of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the last two years. In 2023, Oklahoma banned gender-affirming care for those under 18 as well as several other pieces of targeted legislation stripping rights from TG/GNC/NB community members. Nex’s death is also a result of unchecked, anti-trans rhetoric in our country.
In January, the Oklahoma Department of Education Superintendent Ryan Walters announced that Chaya Raichik would serve on the state’s library media advisory committee. Raichik is also the founder of the anti-LGBTQ+ group “Libs of Tik-Tok”, a group that has used their platform to drive anti-trans rhetoric and attack libraries around the country based upon their ideology of hate aimed at LGBTQ+ people.
Collar City Pride stands in solidarity with Nex and their family, the LGBTQ+ community of Oklahoma, and all those who are oppressed in their communities due to their want to live publicly and authentically as queer people. We continue our work here in Rensselaer County to help create these affirming and safe spaces while mourning the loss of youth gone too soon. Rest in peace Nex, you deserved better.
