*** Trigger Warning ***
Nex Benedict's suicide coincides with a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ laws – and some people's misunderstanding about transgender and nonbinary individuals
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/nex-benedict-s-suicide-coincides-with-a-wave-of-anti-lgbtq-laws-and-some-people-s-misunderstanding-about-transgender-and-nonbinary-individuals/ar-BB1l0EA9?ocid=windirect&cvid=f80b3c2e32c84c5cbcf01b888d4fcc55&ei=32
Story by Marie-Amelie George, Associate Professor of Law, Wake Forest University (3 April 2024)
No charges will be filed in connection with a bathroom fight that happened the day before a 16-year-old nonbinary high school student, Nex Benedict, died by suicide in Oklahoma.
Benedict was beaten so badly by three female students that they blacked out and had to go to the hospital for treatment. The students previously mocked Benedict and their friends "because of the way that we dress," according to a statement Benedict gave to the police the day of the fight.
The number of reported LGBTQ+ hate crimes committed at schools more than doubled between 2018 and 2022, particularly in states like Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas, which have anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Transgender and nonbinary students, in particular, are more likely to be harassed and assaulted today than they were five years ago.
Transgender and nonbinary individuals face widespread discrimination and high rates of violence.
Transgender individuals are more than four times more likely than cisgender people to be victims of violent crime. They are especially likely to be attacked when they try to use public restrooms. Compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers, transgender adolescents are disproportionately likely to experience psychological, physical and sexual abuse.
The majority of LGBTQ+ teens report being bullied in schools.
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* Trans Lifeline: Provides peer support and crisis intervention for
transgender and non-binary people. Call: 1-877-565-8860 or
Visit: https://translifeline.org/
* The Trevor Project: Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention
services for LGBTQ+ youth. Call: 1-866-488-7386 or visit:
Visit: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
* The Trevor Project's resources for parents and allies:
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/friends-family-support-systems-for-lgbtq-youth/
* The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Offers support and
for people with mental health conditions, including LGBTQ+ individuals.
Visit: https://www.nami.org/Home
* The Jed Foundation: Provides mental health resources and suicide prevention
information for teens and young adults, including LGBTQ+ youth.
Visit: https://jedfoundation.org/
If you have any questions please contact any of the Moderation Staff for assistance.
Was it ever established (by an outside investigator) that it really was suicide?
I don't think we can trust the local authorities, since Nex was (a) trans in a transphobic state and (b) Native American in a notoriously anti-Native part of the USA.