The latest update on the cause of Nex Benedict’s death changes nothing.  

The radical, hate-based, ideologically-driven rhetoric and legislation are literally killing LGBTQ+ young people. 

To be who they are. To live. To thrive. These are the basic human rights that were denied to Nex Benedict.  

The hate-based bullying of and assault on Nex Benedict was not unprecedented. It was precedented by the hateful rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, pushed through by extremists in Oklahoma, and across the country.  

Schools are not safe spaces for LGBTQ+ young people.  

The damages are tremendous and sweeping, demonstrated not only by the surge in hate-based violence and bullying, but in the trauma inflicted upon LGBTQ+ young people and in the negative impacts on their mental health.

LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers, not because of who they are, but because of the oppressive societal hate and stigmatization.

For LGBTQ+ young people especially, the right to live, their very existence, is under attack. 

Nex deserved better. 

To be who they are and love who they are. To live in a world that affirms and celebrates them for who they are.

Nex Benedict deserved these basic human rights, and so much more.

But for Nex, living in a state where radicals have legitimized hate with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, with officials who openly espouse hateful rhetoric, school was not a safe space.

Tragically, hate crimes like these are not new, and even worse, are on the rise. Analyzing data from the 2017-2019 National Crime Victimization Survey, researchers at UCLA found that are LGBT people nine times more likely than non-LGBT people to be victims of hate crime.

More than ever before in history, we see the continued onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that threaten the health and safety of LGBTQ+ people. Trans athlete bans. Anti-trans health care bills. Gag orders on gender identity, sexuality, expression. Bathroom bans…

These harmful policies espouse hate, pushing extremist ideologies. According to a report by the Human Rights Campaign and the Center for Countering Digital Hate, anti-LGBTQ+, hateful rhetoric increases dramatically on social media following hate legislation, such as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.

And of course, the fallout for all LGBTQ+ young people is far greater: The Trevor Project reported on the tremendous negative impacts anti-LGBTQ+ policies have on LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health.

Unprecedented surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Unprecedented surge in hateful rhetoric.

Unprecedented surge in hate crimes.

Unprecedented decline in LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health.

The assault on Nex Benedict was not unprecedented. It was precedented by the hateful rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, pushed through by extremists in Oklahoma, and across the country.

We don’t need to see these data to know. The data only reinforce what we already know.

The assault on Nex Benedict was not unprecedented. It was precedented by the hateful rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, pushed through by extremists in Oklahoma, and across the country.

The radical contingent pushing these hate-based ideologies and rhetoric do not value life. They do not value humanity. They do not want all young people to be safe, certainly not to thrive.

And it doesn’t stop with the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and hate rhetoric. Book bans. Eliminating social-emotional learning. Failure to provide comprehensive sex education. White-washing history lessons of racism and oppression.

This is not just the erasure of knowledge. This is the erasure of human beings.

For LGBTQ+ young people especially, the right to live, their very existence, is under attack. 

Nex deserved better.

I know the folks who read Healthy Teen Network’s posts are similarly enraged and distraught by last week’s news. I know I’m not saying anything new for our audience. I know we’re all working oh-so-very hard, each and every day, to realize a world that does affirm and celebrate all young people. We’re doing our best to resist or overturn the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, to counter the hateful rhetoric with inclusivity and affirmation.

For LGBTQ+ young people like Nex, and for all of their peers, for all young people, we know that sex education is one of our essential tools in this resistance. Sex education teaches young people the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect. These life lessons help young people develop into healthy adults. Inclusive lessons create a positive effect on all students and have been shown to reduce bullying, discrimination, and harassment. Research shows that sex education that is culturally responsive and inclusive helps young people develop the social and emotional skills they need to become caring and empathetic human beings.

The work we do is important, it matters. And so, we keep on. We say Nex Benedict’s name. We call for justice for Nex. We draw the lines from the hate to the violence. And we keep trying to create inclusive, affirming spaces where LGBTQ+ young people can thrive.