No Rule or rhetoric can change our commitment to 2stgnc+ liberation
This may be the first piece of anti-trans legislation entertained by the Oklahoma Legislature this year, but we're unfortunately certain it won't be the last. And, as much as lawmakers work to create hostile environments for 2STGNC+ folks, it doesn't change the fact that we have always been and will always be in Oklahoma. And we'll keep fighting, even in spaces where the hatred of us is enshrined in explicit policy, for the future where we all have the safety to thrive. No one can deprive us of our dignity.
The systems aren’t designed to give us accountability
Yesterday the Department of Education released a letter to Owasso Public Schools detailing a number of ways in which they failed to comply with Title IX, the result of an investigation following a complaint launched after Nex Benedict died the day following being beaten in a school bathroom after months of being bullied for his* gender identity. It is certainly an important step to have a federal institution acknowledge the harms caused by Owasso Public School’s failure to comply with Title IX–compliance failures that stretch far beyond Nex’s case and his death. While Owasso Public Schools in their initial response has acknowledged their failure to comply with Title IX, their continued refusal to acknowledge their role in the death of Nex Benedict shows how far removed their response is from accountability. And, as we all sit with the letter from the Federal Department of Education, the list of next steps may feel far removed from any sense of justice, to the extent that it is even possible when a school has contributed to the conditions that resulted in the death of one of their students.
We’ve (Still) got us
There are a lot of unknowns and heavy days ahead. And there's no quick or easy way through the anxiety we're all feeling about now. So, let's acknowledge that and start with how we're getting through today, through this week, through November.
The Houses Our Ancestors Built
“The Houses Our Ancestors Built,” a guest blog by Oklahoma Queer History
