Seattle's LGBTQ+ and Native American communities came together in sorrow and solidarity this past Monday at the University of Washington's Intellectual House to remember Nex Benedict, the 16-year-old nonbinary teen of Choctaw descent who died tragically after an altercation in an Oklahoma school bathroom. In an event organized by Seattle Pride and an intertribal drum group Gathered in This Place, more than 100 attendees honored Benedict's memory with candles, traditional Native medicines, notes, and emotional tributes, as reported by The Seattle Times.
Benedict, who had been harassed before the physical conflict that sent them to the hospital, died the following day, February 8, though the police had stated the death was not related to the injuries from the fight. However, LGBTQ+ and Indigenous activists have been vocal, blaming Oklahoma's restrictive bathroom laws that require students to use the facilities according to their assigned birth gender. This legislation is partially blamed for the harassment that led to the incident, as covered by Out Magazine.
"Even though [we] didn’t know Nex, they’re our Choctaw relative," a member of Gathered in This Place said in a statement obtained by The Seattle Times. "And it’s important that we send up for Nex because their voice was silenced." This echoes a pervasive sentiment coursing through gatherings across the nation, underlining the threat queer youth experience daily. These sentiments were further amplified by an array of social media tributes from prominent celebrities, activists, and artists mourning Benedict's passing.
In Oklahoma, Indigenous and queer advocates emphasized the alarming risks that queer Indigenous youth are facing in the United States. "The loss of Nex is a tragic reminder that Queer Indigenous youth are not safe in the so-called U.S.," Steph Viera, an associate producer for NDN Collective, told Prism Reports, shining a light on the intersectional vulnerabilities experienced by two-spirit and queer Indigenous people. The narrative of Nex Benedict, laden with both joy and tragedy, became a focal point for further advocacy of more inclusive, just policies affecting Indigenous and queer youth nationally.
Following an outcry from the human rights community, the U.S. Department of Education launched an inquiry into the circumstances of Benedict's death and the alleged violations of their rights within the school, based on a complaint from the Human Rights Campaign. The community of Owasso, stunned and aggrieved, has seen the personal become political, a rallying cry for those demanding that the tides of tolerance and acceptance rise higher. "We just have to honor the spirit of Nex, who was a beautiful young person who deserved to be able to live and honor their family," Storme Webber, an attendee at the Seattle vigil, expressed in an interview provided to The Seattle Times.
