Charlie Garner  – Opinion Editor 

avg6206@psu.edu

OKLAHOMA, U.S.A.- According to a recent autopsy report, 16 year old Nex Benedict died by suicide. The autopsy report summary was released on March 13 by the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The full report will be released soon on March 27. 

Nex Benedict died after getting into a physical fight with many other students at Owasso High School. They identified as non-binary and were a part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Two Spirit is a general phrase used in Native and Indigenous tribes to refer to a third gender, and it is included in 2SLGBTQ. Their mother, Sue Benedict, is a registered Choctaw Nation member.

In a statement to ABC News, Freedom Oklahoma, a political advocacy group that supports LGBTQ+ causes, claimed that Benedict’s passing brings attention to attacks on the transgender and gender non-conforming communities.

“2STGNC+ students are the ones at risk; they are under attack in their schools, and they are under a coordinated attack by extremist politicians who care more about soundbites than children’s lives,” the statement said. “Nex’s death occurred during a nationwide effort to push 2SLGBTQ+ people out of public life and back into the closets.” 

Following Benedict’s passing earlier this month, discussions have focused on anti-LGBTQ bullying and violence, with Benedict’s family demanding answers and action over the bullying they claim Nex experienced at school. 

“The Benedicts know all too well the devastating effects of bullying and school violence, and pray for meaningful change wherein bullying is taken seriously and no family has to deal with another preventable tragedy,” the family said via their attorney in a statement to ABC News.

LGBTQ+ youth are at more of a risk for poor mental health, violence, and bullying than their peers who are non-LGBTQ+. They are also more likely to have suicidal thoughts or attempts. 

In response to a complaint about Owasso Public Schools from the Human Rights Campaign, the Department of Education launched an investigation with these concerns in mind. 

President Joe Biden released a statement following Nex Benedict’s death. 

“In memory of Nex, we must all recommit to our work to end discrimination and address the suicide crisis impacting too many nonbinary and transgender children,” Biden said in the statement. “Bullying is hurtful and cruel, and no one should face the bullying that Nex did.”

Following Benedict’s passing, anti-LGBTQ legislation and statements have drawn criticism from local officials. Open requests for the dismissal of Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, who has advocated for anti-LGBTQ policies, have also been made.

“To make sure that all individuals are safe in a school, we want every student to be protected, we want every student to be successful,” Walters told ABC News in an interview recently. “That also means we’re not going to lie to students. And we’re not going to push a gender ideology.”

About 350 local, state, and national organizations have signed an open letter calling for Ryan Walters’ removal. 

Additionally, the family made a plea to lawmakers and school officials to “come together to prevent any other family from having to suffer through the heartache now borne by Nex’s loved ones.”

“Reforms creating school environments that are built upon the pillars of respect, inclusion and grace, and aim to eliminate bullying and hate, are the types of change that all involved should be able to rally behind,” their statement read.

After the findings from the medical examiner were made public, the Human Rights Campaign issued a statement denouncing bullying and acts of violence against LGBTQ individuals.

“As parents, we send our kids to school expecting that they will be safe and cared for,” the statement read. “Nex was failed by so many and should still be here today. We hold their family in our hearts as they grapple with the devastating reality that their beloved child, a teen with a bright future, is no longer making this world a brighter place.”

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about  loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.