It’s still justice for nex benedict

March 13, 2024

Earlier today, the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office released a summary autopsy report for Nex Benedict that lists Diphenhydramine and Fluoxetine toxicity as the probable cause of death, labeling the death as suicide. Unfortunately, the summary report offers almost no additional information, and does nothing to change the fundamental injustice of the situation: Nex Benedict was a 16 year-old Indigenous student at an Oklahoma school who was relentlessly bullied for his transness for over a year, and who died the day after being physically beaten in a school bathroom. Nex is a 16 year-old, who should still be alive. But isn’t. 

In response to this news, Nicole McAfee, they/she, Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma issued the following statement:

“2SLGBTQ+ people have always been, and will always be in Oklahoma. We deserve the safety to learn, to thrive here. We deserve decision makers at every level of governance who are doing everything within their power to ensure our youngest and most vulnerable residents are safe. Instead, Nex’s death further proves that–far from being a threat to anyone–Two Spirit, transgender, and gender nonconforming+ (2STGNC+) students are the ones who are threatened; they are under attack in Oklahoma schools, and they are under a coordinated attack by extremist politicians who care more about their political aspirations and media appearances than about the impact of their policies and rhetoric on 2SLGBTQ+ lives.”

“This Medical Examiner’s summary report offers, for a second time, only limited insight into a decision about possible cause of death for Nex Benedict. And, we have said from the beginning that whether Nex died as a result of the physical or emotional harm he was subjected to, our elected officials, our appointed State Board of Education, Owasso High School, and all of us failed Nex in allowing for policies and rhetoric that created a regularly hostile environment for a kid just trying to live as his authentic self.  It’s clear, we must shift the priorities of Oklahoma public schools, so that the well being of students is placed ahead of policies and talking points churned out by national extremist groups at the expense of 2SLGBTQ+ lives.”

“To the 2SLGBTQ+ Oklahomans, to our Indigenous relatives on the Cherokee reservation, in the Choctaw Nation, and to those families, biological and chosen, we are united in our rage, our grief, and our deep unrelenting joy of knowing what it is to be queer and trans, to be loved by queer and trans people, to be part of a legacy of building towards our collective liberation so we all have the safety to thrive: this fight is far from over. Nothing in this report changes the responsibility to keep our young people safe. Nothing shifts the need for accountability from those in power who are using their platforms to isolate 2SLGBTQ+ youth and advance anti-trans rhetoric.”

“We reaffirm our calls for Superintendent Ryan Walters, state library advisory board member Chaya Raichik–who also operates the anti-2SLGBTQ hate account LibsOfTikTok–and any other policymaker who has and continues to contribute to Oklahoma’s culture of anti-trans bigotry to step down immediately. If they don’t resign, they should be removed from their positions. No one who is unwilling to keep all students safe deserves to be in a position of power.”

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 covering 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 Celebration Saturday March 30. You can find information on those events as well as our monthly virtual meeting spaces at 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).