Freedom Oklahoma statement on DA Kunzweiler’s Statement on Nex Benedict
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 21, 2024
Thursday, March 21, more than a month after Nex Benedict died the day after being beaten and receiving head wounds from a fight at school in a bathroom facility Nex was mandated by law to use despite it not aligning with his gender, Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler followed what has been thus far a united front from Oklahoma law enforcement surrounding Nex Benedict’s death, announcing his office would be taking no action in response to ongoing calls for justice and independent investigations the family is being forced to carry out.
In response to this news, Nicole McAfee, they/she, Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma issued the following statement:
“A statement that deadnames a trans victim as its opening sentence is one that clearly indicates the brand of justice doled out by DA Kunzweiler’s office–one that does not include or respect Two Spirit, transgender, or gender nonconforming+ (2STGNC+) people. DA Kunzweiler’s office has refused to collaborate with tribal law enforcement and respect the rights of Indigenous people killed on Indigenous land, and yet again he has issued a decision in this case as if he gets a say in what justice is for Nex Benedict. DA Kunzweiler’s words do have an impact on tainting public opinion as we await results of independent, ongoing investigations in the weeks ahead. It's a shame to see DA Kunzweiler use the platform of his office in this way, but not unexpected given the culture of punishment, not justice, that is the Oklahoma standard when it comes to the criminal punishment system.
DA Kunzweiler’s statement offers no more evidence or insight, instead, it asks us to trust the status quo in believing a set of facts that are so violently in opposition to the lived experiences of 2STGNC+ Oklahomans. 2SLGBTQ+ people have always been, and will always be in Oklahoma. We deserve the safety to learn here, to thrive here. We deserve truth, transparency, and justice. And true justice does not come from a cop with a law degree. We stand in solidarity with those seeking honest answers to what happened to Nex. And we do so because we hear and believe the harm 2STGNC+ Oklahomans tell us they experience every day as a result of targeted policies and hostile school environments.
Freedom Oklahoma awaits the results of the U.S. Department of Education investigation into Nex Benedict’s death, and will continue to push for comprehensive protections that truly support and affirm all 2SLGBTQ+ students across Oklahoma, Indian Country, and beyond.”
-
As we approach Trans Week of Visibility and Action at the end of this month, you can join us at our annual People’s Hearing at the Capitol Tuesday March 26, at the next State Board of Education meeting Thursday March 28, and for our Trans Day of Visibility Celebrations Saturday March 30 in Oklahoma City and Sunday March 31 in Tulsa. You can find information on those events https://www.freedomoklahoma.org/events. You can send some love to our trans community as part of our annual love letters to trans Oklahomans project at bit.ly/transoklove.
We know that stories discussing anti-trans rhetoric and suicide have a measurable impact on the mental health of 2SLGBTQ+ Oklahomans. We ask that stories covering this content lift up 2SLGBTQ+ affirming crisis support options such as Rainbow Youth Project (317-643-4888), Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860), the Trevor Project (call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678), SAGE x HearMe Hotline, and the LGBT Hotline (888-843-4564).
###