Students walk out over nonbinary student's death, anti-LGBTQ bullying in Oklahom

[Jessica_Rose]

Students walk out over nonbinary student's death, anti-LGBTQ bullying in Oklahoma

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/students-walk-out-over-nonbinary-student-s-death-anti-lgbtq-bullying-in-oklahoma/ar-BB1iVen4?ocid=windirect&cvid=712177179e3b4abeed1ea62dc8a8dc69&ei=5

ABC News (26 Feb 2024)

At Owasso High School in Oklahoma, where nonbinary student Nex Benedict got in a fight with several other students the day before they died, students walked out Monday in protest of bullying and in support of the school's 2SLGBTQ community.

"Our children are scared to death and go to school every day, and something has to stop," one Owasso parent, Susie Eubank, told Tulsa ABC affiliate KTUL. "My child has had direct threats. Direct derogatory names."

"I just want to get the word out and show these kids that we're here," Cassidy Brown, who graduated from Owasso and helped organize the demonstration, told KTUL. "There is a community here in this city that does exist, and we see them, and they are loved."

Anti-LGBTQ bullying and violence have been the center of conversation in the aftermath of Nex's death earlier this month, as the Benedict family and the local 2SLGBTQ community continue to mourn with vigils and memorials across the state and country.

"Together, we can send a strong message that bullying is not acceptable and that we stand with those who have experienced it," read a post from the Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma, which helped organize the event.