LOCAL AND NATIONAL LEADERS ILLUSTRATE FAILURE OF WALTERS AND OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN THE MONTHS PRECEDING THE DEATH OF NEX BENEDICT, A 16-YEAR-OLD 2STGNC+ (Two Spirit, transgender, and gender nonconforming+) STUDENT OF CHOCTAW HERITAGE
KRISTIN CHENOWETH, DEMI LOVATO, CYNTHIA NIXON, JONATHAN VAN NESS, TOMMY DORFMAN, ALOK, PEPPERMINT, EMMA ROBERTS, AMY SCHNEIDER, K.D. LANG AND MORE JOIN AS SIGNERS
RAINBOW YOUTH PROJECT REPORTS NEARLY 1,000 MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CONTACTS FROM LGBTQ YOUTH ACROSS OKLAHOMA FOLLOWING NEX’S DEATH
(Tulsa, Oklahoma, February 28, 2024) – Today more than 350 national, state, and local organizations advocating for equality across the U.S., alongside notable public figures, issued an open letter to Oklahoma legislative leadership urging justice for Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old 2STGNC+ (Two Spirit, transgender, and gender nonconforming+) student of Choctaw heritage who died following an attack in a restroom at Owasso High School in Oklahoma earlier this month.
The letter calls for the immediate removal of Oklahoma state superintendent of public instruction, Ryan Walters, who has a long history of anti-2SLGBTQI+ (two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex+) rhetoric and policies; and an investigation into the Oklahoma Department of Education to determine what actions and policies have led to a culture where rampant harassment of 2SLGBTQI+ students has been allowed to go unchecked. The letter reads in part:
“We are outraged that a climate of hate and bigotry has been not only allowed to thrive, but encouraged by the person who is responsible for education in the state of Oklahoma. State officials must be held accountable for bringing the politics of hate into Oklahoma’s schools and making our most vulnerable youth pay the price.”
Signers span Oklahoma-specific civil rights groups, churches and faith denominations, legal groups and unions, and more, to national education and youth advocacy groups, civil rights organizations, women’s rights leaders, and equality groups in neighboring states.
In addition to organizational signers, notable names including Kristin Chenoweth, Demi Lovato, Cynthia Nixon, k.d. lang, Jonathan Van Ness, Amy Schneider, Peppermint, ALOK, Emma Roberts, and Tommy Dorfman all joined onto the letter.
Statement from Nicole McAfee (they/she), Executive Director of Freedom Oklahoma:
“The same week as Oklahoma and much of the world was grappling with the news of a 16-year-old Indigenous, 2STGNC+ student left dead after experiencing head trauma in a bathroom fight that involved anti-trans bullying, State Superintendent Ryan Walters and his gubernatorial appointed school board unanimously passed fifteen administrative rules that did everything from ban DEI programs to name Judeo Christian values as the foundations of Oklahoma public education. It’s yet another example that not only is Walters out of touch with the needs of Oklahoma students, teachers, and families, but he is willing to continue his work to make public schools in Oklahoma hostile for 2SLGBTQ+ and BIPOC students, no matter the cost. All Oklahoma students deserve the safety to show up and learn as their full selves, and that is not possible so long as Ryan Walters is allowed to remain in his position. There will never truly be justice for a dead student, but Nex’s community deserves, at minimum, a full investigation of the State Department of Education, and an end to the Ryan Walters regime.”
The letter was organized by Freedom Oklahoma, which works to build an Oklahoma where all 2SLGBTQ+ people have the safety to thrive; GLAAD, the world’s leading LGBTQ media advocacy organization; the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization; and GLSEN, a multi-racial intergenerational LGBTQ+ organization working nationally and locally to transform K-12 educational systems in the United States.
On Monday, Rainbow Youth Project, a social welfare organization that promotes the health, safety, and wellness of 2SLGBTQ+ young people throughout the United States, reported 987 mental health crisis contacts from youth inside Oklahoma; 894 have been received since February 16th, when news about Nex’s death gained national attention.
Rainbow Youth Project reports that crisis contacts also spiked over the past year as state lawmakers continued passing discriminatory laws banning essential health care for transgender youth (May 2023, followed by 443 crisis contacts, up from 58 the month before), an inflammatory and inaccurate video produced by Walters’ education department falsely insinuating transgender students are a threat in schools in June (472 crisis contacts recorded), and policies to erase transgender and gender diverse people from official state designations and in school facilities (issued August 2023, followed by 453 crisis contacts). Oklahoma had passed a ban on students using the restroom aligned with authentic gender in May 2022, and a ban on transgender students participating in school sports in March 2022.
Statement from Sarah Kate Ellis (she/her), President & CEO of GLAAD:
“Superintendent Walters appears to have no interest in the safety and future of Oklahoma’s students as he has dangerously and recklessly prioritized escalating attacks against LGBTQ, indigenous, and vulnerable youth, promoting lies, spreading disinformation, and pushing broad scale discriminatory policies that do nothing to improve education. He has policed LGBTQ and affirming educators and pushed forward draconian rhetoric and policies to erase the culture and history of entire communities of Oklahomans. He is on the record using taxpayer funds to fuel his extremist agenda, in alignment with national anti-LGBTQ groups like Moms for Liberty and extremists on social media. Removing Walters would be one measure of justice for Nex Benedict and every other young Oklahoman, and a small step toward ensuring a new era in Oklahoma schools where every young person should be safe, protected and belong.”
Statement from Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (they/she), Executive Director of GLSEN:
“Nex’s life was taken due to anti-trans hatred peddled by State Superintendent Ryan Walters, Chaya Raichik (Libs of TikTok) and extremist state legislators. These adults must be held accountable for their actions and words. Hate speech, especially when enshrined into law as demonstrated by Oklahoma’s transphobic bathroom ban, not only brainwashes children to commit atrocious acts of violence but also desensitizes the adults in their environment, fostering a culture of callousness and disregard for human life. The tragic reality is that the youth who inflicted fatal injuries upon Nex were indoctrinated by fear and instilled with hatred of trans individuals. This indoctrination was so potent that they felt justified in carrying out an assault on their peer in a school bathroom. All children should be able to go to school and come home alive. Trans, non-binary and queer kids should be able to go to school and come home alive. As we grieve this loss, we persist in our fight and our commitment to rise up in support of queer and trans youth, and against extremism that attempts to use our education system to further hate and to erase queer youth.”
Statement from Kelley Robinson (she/her), President of the Human Rights Campaign:
“Long before Nex Benedict’s tragic death, Superintendent Walters’ troubling history of transphobic and racist behavior consistently put Oklahoma’s students, staff and teachers at risk. Now, his callous response to Nex’s death makes it clearer than ever that he is unfit for the role–and is in fact a danger to Oklahoma’s youth. Oklahoma students deserve to learn in an environment where they can be their authentic selves, free of harassment and bullying. That will never be the case with Ryan Walters in charge. The entire Oklahoma Department of Education must be investigated, and Walters must lose his job.”
To view the current full list of singers, click here. Organizations seeking to add their names as signers can do so here; and individuals can do so here.
For a comprehensive look at Ryan Walters’ record on LGBTQ people and issues, visit https://glaad.org/gap/ryan-walters/.
The current full list of signers is as follows:
Organizations Based in or Serving Oklahoma:
Burning Cedar Sovereign Wellness
Campaign for Southern Equality
Church of the Open Arms & Cathedral of Hope OKC
Community Cares by Trust Women
Cousins
D. Hammond & Associates, PLLC
Diversity Center of Oklahoma
Diversity Family Health
End HIV Oklahoma
First Unitarian Church of Oklahoma City
Foundation for Liberating Minds
Freedom Oklahoma
Hopkins Law and Associates, P.C.
Let’s Fix This
Lumina: Queer Student Alliance
Matriarch
Metriarch®
Mingalar Myanmar Alliance, Inc.
National Lawyers Guild, Oklahoma Chapter
OKC Democratic Socialists of America
OKC DSA Queer
Oklahoma Action Chorus
Oklahoma City Pride
Oklahoma Faith Network
Oklahoma Pride Alliance
Oklahomans for Equality
Open Arm Photography & Art
OUHSC Black Student Association
PFLAG Enid OK
PFLAG Norman
PFLAG OKC
PFLAG Stillwater
PFLAG Tulsa
Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes
Rural Oklahoma Pride
SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender & Sexual Diversity
Stand For the Silent
Starbucks Workers United OKC
TahlEquality
The Normal Anomaly Initiative, Inc.
Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma
Trust Women Foundation
Tulsa Infectious Disease & AIDS League (TIDAL)
National Organizations:
Advocates for Youth
AFT
Agape MCC
American Association of School Librarians
American Atheists
American Humanist Association
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Arab American Institute
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Athlete Ally
Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Center for American Progress
Center for Freethought Equality
CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ Centers
Coalition for Responsible Home Education
COLAGE
Defense of Democracy
EducateUS
Envision:You
Equality Federation
Family Equality
FFRF Action Fund
FORGE, Inc.
Gender Justice League
GLAAD
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
GLSEN
GSA Network
Health Justice Commons
Human Rights Campaign
I Am Human Foundation
Interfaith Alliance
It Gets Better
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
Knit the Rainbow, Inc.
Lambda Legal
Matthew Shepard Foundation
MomsRising
Movement Advancement Project
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment (National PLACE)
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Education Association
National Harm Reduction Coalition
National LGBT Cancer Network
National LGBTQ Task Force
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Trans Bar Association
National Women’s Law Center
Our Schools USA
PFLAG National
Plume Health
Positive Women’s Network-USA
Project HEAL
Public Justice
QFPP
Queer Equity Institute
Rainbow Youth Project USA
Sam & Devorah Foundation for Trans Youth
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Shakina Inc.
SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change
State Innovation Exchange (SIX)
The Advocacy Institute
The Center for Constitutional Rights
The Center for HIV Law and Policy (CHLP)
The Sikh Coalition
The Trevor Project
The Unitarian Universalist Association
Trans Formations Project
TransFamiy Support Services
Transgender Law Center
Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF)
True Colors United
UFCW OUTreach
UltraViolet
Unity Fellowship Church Movement
State and Local Organizations Outside of Oklahoma:
Affirmations Community Center
AIM IT; WI
All Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist
All Rainbow and Allied Youth
All Under One Roof LGBTQ ADVOCATES of Southeastern Idaho
Alliance for Full Acceptance
API Equality-LA
APLA Health
Arkansas Black Gay Men’s Forum
Bellingham Queer Collective
Big Sky High School Gender Sexuality Alliance
Black Pride NOLA
Borderland Rainbow Center
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
CAMP Rehoboth, Inc.
Center for Immigrant Protection
Charlotte Trans Health
CoastPride
Communication Madison
Diverse & Resilient
Diversity Alliance of the Puget Sound
Diversity Collective
Diversity Collective Ventura County
Eastern PA Trans Equity Project
Edge New Jersey
El/La Para TransLatinas
Embrace United Church of Christ
EmpowerMT
Equality Arizona
Equality California
Equality Connecticut
Equality Delaware
Equality Nevada
Equality New Mexico
Equality New York
Equality North Carolina
Equality Ohio
Equality South Dakota
Equality Texas
Equality Virginia
Fair Wisconsin
Fairness Campaign
FAIRNY
Faith Commons
Family Voices NJ
First Unitarian Church of Dallas
Flamingo Democrats
Fortaleza Familiar
Four Corners Rainbow Youth Center
Freedom, Inc.
FreeState Justice
Galileo Christian Church
Garden State Equality
Gender Justice (Minnesota and North Dakota)
Gender Justice LA
GenderNexus
Georgia Equality
Georgia Safe Schools Coalition
GLYS Western New York
GMHC
Grand Rapids Trans Foundation
GSAFE
Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center
GVSU YDSA/SDS
Hawai‘i LGBT Legacy Foundation
He She Ze and We
Henderson Equality Center
Hetrick-Martin Institute
Hudson Pride Center
Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center
Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation
Identity Inc.
Immune Boosters
inclusion tennessee
Inside Out Youth Services
Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition
LGBT Center of Greater Reading
LGBT Center of Raleigh
LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin
LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland
LGBT Community Center of Long Island, Inc.
LGBT Community Network
LGBTQ Center OC
LGBTQ Community Organizer GV
Live Out Loud
Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, Inc. (LIGALY)
Long Island SAGE
Los Angeles Bi+ Task Force
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Louisiana Trans Advocates
Louisville Youth Group
Madison Anarcha Collective
MaineTransNet
Mainline
Makom Shelanu Congregation
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
MassEquality
Mazzoni Center
Middle Tennessee Democratic Socialists of America
Middleton Hills Trans Anarchist Collective
Monterey Peninsula Pride
Montgomery Pride United/ Bayard Rustin Community Center
Mountain Pride
Muncie OUTreach LGBTQ+ Center
Naper Pride
National Council of Jewish Women Texas
New Bern Pride
New Haven Pride Center
North County LGBTQ Resource Center
North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
North Shore Alliance of GLBTQ+ Youth (NAGLY)
Northwest Arkansas Equality, Inc.
NoVA Prism Center
NY LGBT Network
Ogden Pride
One Colorado
One Iowa
one-n-ten
Openhouse
Out Boulder County
Out in the Open
OUT MetroWest
Out On The Lakeshore
Out Professional Engagement Network
OutCenter Southwest Michigan
OutFront Kalamazoo
OutFront Minnesota
OUTMemphis
OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center
Pacific Center for Human Growth
Pacific Pride Foundation
PEAK Parent Center
PFLAG FW
PFLAG Mount Horeb Chapter
Pittsburgh Equality Center
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin
Positive Images
Pride at Work AFL-CIO Rochester Finger Lakes Chapter
Pride Center of Terre Haute Inc.
Pride Community Center, Inc
Pride Foundation
Prism United
PROMO Missouri
Public Advocates
QSpace Bismarck, North Dakota
Queermunity
QUEERSPACE collective
Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance
Rainbow Rose Center
Rainbow Seniors ROC, Inc
Red River Rainbow Seniors
Red River Unitarian Universalist Church – Denison
Resource Center
Ricky’s Pride
Rochester Rainbow Union
Sacramento LGBT Community Center
San Diego Pride
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
San Gabriel Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Seattle’s LGBTQ Center
Shenandoah LGBTQ Center
Shoals Diversity Center
Silver State Equality-Nevada
Sincecombahee Educational Consulting
SMYAL
Social Action Council, First UU Church of Austin
Solano Pride Center
SQSH (St. Louis Queer+ Support & Healing)
St. Luke’s in the Meadow Episcopal Church
St. Vrain Safe Schools Coalition
Still Bisexual
Stonewall Columbus, Inc
Sussex Pride
Tennessee Equality Project
Texas Freedom Network
Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry
The California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network
The Center for Sexuality & Gender Diversity
The Center on Colfax, Denver
The Center Project
The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
The LGBT Center, NYC
The LGBTQ Center (South Bend, IN)
The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert
The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center
The Parents’ Place of MD
The Pride Center at Equality Park
The San Diego LGBT Community Center
The Source LGBT+ Center
Therapy Center of Philadelphia
Trans Advocacy Madison
Trans Maryland
Trans Resistance Action Committee
Transformation Project
Transformation Project Advocacy Network
Transgender Awareness Alliance
Transinclusive Group
TransOhio
TransSOCIAL, Inc.
Triangle Community Center
Tzedek Georgia
U.D.T.J.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Oakcliff
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hidalgo County Texas
University Church
Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance (UGLA)
Veterans and Military Alliance
Washington County Gay Straight Alliance, Inc.
Waves Ahead Corp
We Are Family
Westside Unitarian Universalist Church
William Way LGBT Community Center
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Wisconsin Public Education Network
Wyoming Equality
Youth Outlook
Youth OUTright WNC Inc
Youth Pride, Inc.
YouthSeen
Freedom Oklahoma is the state’s only dedicated 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy organization, and works each day to build a future where all 2SLGBTQ+ people have the safety to thrive. You can learn more about Freedom Oklahoma at https://www.freedomoklahoma.org/.
GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. GLAAD protects all that has been accomplished and creates a world where everyone can live the life they love. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org or connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.
GLSEN is a multi-racial intergenerational LGBTQ+ organization working nationally and locally to transform K-12 educational systems in the United States. Each year, GLSEN programs and resources reach millions of students and educators via action at the national, state, and local level. Since 1990, GLSEN has improved conditions for LGBTQ+ students across the United States and helped launch a national movement to address LGBTQ+ issues in education.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.