Nex Benedict deserved a long, happy life. Instead, we lost them to cruelty.
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This week the nation learned the heartbreaking news that Nex Benedict, who used he/they pronouns, died by suicide the day after they were victim to a physical and emotional attack by their classmates in their school restroom, according to their family.
This horrific loss has seized national attention, yet tragedies like this are not uncommon; it’s estimated that at least one LGBTQ+ young person attempts suicide every 45 seconds. As a psychologist working to support LGBTQ+ youth in crisis, I know suicides like Nex’s could be preventable, but only if we ensure that all youth – including transgender and nonbinary youth – feel safe, accepted and supported at home, in schools and in our communities.
LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers – not because of their identity, but because they face increased rates of rejection and discrimination that contributes to suicidal ideation. Societal rejection of the LGBTQ+ community has been prevalent for decades, but the increasingly calculated, coordinated and vehement political attacks targeting LGBTQ+ young people today – particularly transgender and nonbinary youth – can lead to lethal consequences.
Research shows that 90% of LGBTQ+ youth in Oklahoma, where Nex lived, reported that recent politics negatively impacted their well-being sometimes or a lot. And in the past year, a staggering 48% of LGBTQ+ youth in Oklahoma seriously considered suicide, including 55% of transgender and nonbinary youth. This surpasses the nationwide figure of 41% of LGBTQ+ youth who seriously considered suicide within the past year throughout the United States.
Nex Benedict deserved better: The world Nex Benedict deserved isn't hard to create. It just takes love and respect.
The LGBTQ+ culture wars will only worsen with 2024 election
The state of Oklahoma, among several others, has been particularly unsupportive of LGBTQ+ youth, currently considering more than 50 anti-LGBTQ+ bills.
The truth is, young transgender and nonbinary people find themselves at the center of a culture war that was created through a highly-coordinated, well-funded political strategy to undermine their existence. Misinformation surrounding trans and nonbinary young people’s experiences has begun to infiltrate public discussions at an unprecedented scale.
While many of these political attacks are malicious, most adults who buy into these false narratives around trans youth think they are protecting young people – when in fact, this large-scale rejection is a significant risk factor that contributes to deadly consequences.
This hostile climate is especially potent amid a general election year – and the negative effects of the unyielding anti-LGBTQ+ legislation of the last few years has created a fertile environment for anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric to thrive. It’s on all of us to make sure that we’re not abandoning young people to fight this alone.
Nex Benedict's is another life lost to cruelty, stigmatization
The Trevor Project’s research also consistently shows that LGBTQ+ young people with access to safe, affirming schools, community events and online spaces report lower rates of attempting suicide. Support, acceptance and affirmation promotes positive mental health and well-being, while rejection and violence – like what Nex faced – threatens safety and well-being.
Nex’s death could have been preventable, and every LGBTQ+ young person deserves to live a long, happy life. Transgender young people deserve a world where they can safely exist publicly. I hope that this moment is a wake-up call for all lawmakers and adults in positions of power to change their tune and start elevating LGBTQ+ youth’s right to live as their authentic selves.
Nex deserved better, and we must see this severe outcome for what it is: another young LGBTQ+ life lost to cruelty and stigmatization.
Nex is every child we know – our nieces, nephews, grandchildren, children, neighbors and more. We can all reach out to those young people, today, and tell them that they are loved, just as they are. We can all call our legislators to say, enough is enough; we must protect – not attack – LGBTQ+ youth. We can all learn the warning signs of suicide, and how to talk about it safely. And by doing so, we can all play a part in preventing the next senseless loss of a young person's life.
Dr. Stacie Freudenberg is the Senior Clinical Director of Crisis Intervention at The Trevor Project.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nex Benedict's death shows how anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric can kill our kids
