Last night's candlelight vigil in Austin honored the memory of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old from Oklahoma who passed away under tragic circumstances earlier this month, as reported by FOX San Antonio The solemn gathering at Auditorium Shores saw the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies coming together to mourn, and also to stand united in the face of escalating violence against transgender individuals. Local LGBTQIA+ organizations including OutYouth and Protect Trans Kids joined hands in organizing the vigil where ACLU of Texas representative, Ash Hall, expressed a collective resolve in a poignant speech, "Rest in peace and power, Nex. We will take your memory with us as we fight for the world we all deserve."
Oklahoma itself is grappling with an immense loss after Nex's death on February 8, one day following an alleged assault in a school restroom. Nex, a sophomore at Owasso High School, had been reportedly bullied due to their non-binary identity, complicating the grief with a tinge of rage across the queer community in a state notorious for leading the nation in anti-LGBTQ bills. In a statement obtained by NBC News, Nex's mother, Sue Benedict, recounted the pain her child experienced starting last fall after Oklahoma enacted laws restricting transgender students from using school bathrooms that correspond with their gender identities.
The full circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation, yet speculation is rife that there is a direct correlation between the state's hostile legislative climate and the tragedy. Nex's family has been vocal about their intrinsic concerns "While various investigations are still pending, the facts currently known by the family, some of which have been released to the public, are troubling at best,” the Benedict family's attorney, Jacob Biby, released in a statement on Wednesday.
