2 weeks ago a 16 year old non-binary high school student was beaten to death in the girl's bathroom at school in Owasso, Oklahoma. Specifics about the case are still unclear, but the implications are clearer than my mother's crystal. This beautiful child was MURDERED as a result of the beating in the bathroom, arguably one of the least safe places in public for any trans, non-binary, and gender nonconforming person. After several minutes, a teacher interceded, and no medical treatment was provided to Nex (the school stated that the students were looked over by the nurse. If they had been the extent of Nex's injuries should have triggered medical intervention (cuts, wounds, and scratches all over their head, amongst other things). to add insult to injury (death?) the school suspended Nex for 2 weeks for "fighting." They later collapsed and went to the hospital, where they died.
We are just hearing about this now. Major news outlets are still slow in reporting what happened and many are misgendering Nex intentionally (initially in their grief, Nex's parents misgendered them as well. They have since issued a statement apologizing and ensuring that Nex's headstone, etc. will be properly gendered). The school has issued a CYA statement outlining the steps that were taken and stating that a nurse. The police department is refusing to make a case of this yet, as they are "not sure if there were other health conditions that caused Nex's death."
It doesn't fucking matter if there were any outlying health conditions; the beating that Nex suffered was surely a mitigating factor and caused any sort of flare up, if this even occured. Some people have said that Nex had a tendency to run their mouth. Is a teenager running their mouth a death sentence? If so I would have been gone long ago; I was a good kid but my mouth had no limits, especially when it came to my parents.
The school district had been targeted by the group Libs of Tiktok. This is a far-right hate group founded by known agitator Chaya Raichik, to bring light to left-wing issues and to target anyone with a non-hateful agenda. An Owasso teacher was targeted for encouraing students to love themselves despite outside pressures, adding that “if your parents don’t accept you for who you are, fuck them.” This teacher was harassed and had multiple death threats, leading to their resignation.
Instead of taking this targeting seriously, the superintendent rewarded Raichik by offering her a position supervising school libraries and choosing what books are and are not appropriate.
This is why I am so anti "discussion." The time has come for people to educate themselves (the resources are out there and I'm working on a comprehensive list of them) and quit relying on trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming folx to make themselves vulnerable to hate by engaging in these "discussions." ESPECIALLY on a site focused on expression of sexual freedom. There isn't time to argue about the validity of identities or how you want people to tell you what's between their legs. Now is the time to simply fucking ACCEPT. You don't have to fuck or date anyone you don't want to. You don't need to "understand" someone's experience to accept them. You literally just have to not be an asshole and let people live their lives.
Discuss dynamics. Favorite toys. Relationship issues. Roles. Sex positions. History. The best kind of boots (haha jk. The only answer to this is Wescos). But not people's inherent identities.
A beautiful baby is dead because people are dragging the discussion out for far too long.
This is why I refuse to shut the fuck up.
Rest in Power, Nex Benedict. I'm sorry we failed you.
