Today’s message discusses anti-LGBTQ bigotry and violence against trans youth. Please read with care, and skip this email if you need to. I’m asking everyone to join me in a contribution to The Trevor Project to honor Nex’s memory. Thank you. - David
 

My heart is broken, John.

 

This week, like many of you, I learned about the tragic, violent death of Nex Benedict – a 16-year-old nonbinary teen beaten by three girls in the bathroom of their Oklahoma high school.

 

The attackers repeatedly smashed Nex’s head against the bathroom floor. They were so badly injured that reports say they couldn’t even walk to the nurse’s office for aid.

 

The school never called an ambulance. Instead they called Nex’s mother, who took them immediately to the hospital herself.

 

Her baby died the next day as a result of their injuries.
A composite of two photos of Nex Benedict. On the left, Nex is seen smiling and wearing a black vest over a white button down shirt. On the right, Nex is eating with chopsticks and smiling at the camera flashing a peace sign.

Nex had been reporting for months that they were being bullied and targeted by classmates, but school officials reportedly took no action. As the rest of the nation has learned about Nex’s violent death, other LGBTQIA+ teens in Oklahoma have bravely come forward with their own stories of being harassed, abused, and totally abandoned by their teachers and school administrators.

 

The story is all too familiar to me. I know what it’s like to be the young gay kid picked on in school – I was that kid.

 

But as difficult as it was for me and other LGBTQ youth growing up, we’re in new and very dangerous territory right now.

 

Republicans have turned trans hatred into an entire cottage industry. There are social media influencers and content creators and news commentators and elected officials – even members of Congress – who have built their careers out of fueling trans panic.

 

Just two months into 2024, there are already SIXTY anti-trans bills in Oklahoma alone – and nearly 500 nationwide.

 

In Nex’s home state, school superintendent Ryan Walters has pursued a relentless agenda of hatred and bigotry, much of it directed towards the trans community. He even went so far as to appoint noted hate-monger and self-described “terrorist” Chaya Raichik to a position in his agency.

 

Raichik has explicitly targeted Nex’s school district with her anti-trans hatred. And now a trans teen is dead.
A graphic featuring a composition of three screenshots. The first, dated March 2023, is a poster published by Superintendent Ryan Walters depicting a white teen girl washing her hands in a school bathroom while two classmates, both people of color, look on in the distance. The second, dated January 2024, is a screenshot from KOCO 5 News, the local ABC affiliate, reporting that Walters had appointed the Libs of TikTok creator to a position. The final, dated February 2024, is a screenshot of an article by The 19th, with a photo of Nex and the headline: “Nex Benedict’s death is an awakening moment for parents of trans kids in Oklahoma.” The images are set against a black chalkboard background.

I wasn’t there in that school where Nex fought for their life, though I wish to God I had been. I wish any adult would have intervened and stopped the beating – or stopped the bullying before it escalated to that point.

 

I don’t know if the school’s refusal to call for emergency medical assistance immediately contributed to Nex’s death, but I’m certain it didn’t help.

 

We don’t yet know all the facts of this case, but here’s what we do know: Nex Benedict deserved to live.

 

My heart is shattered for Nex, who was denied the opportunity to grow up and fulfill their destiny. My heart is shattered for Nex’s parents, who so clearly loved their child and did all they could to support them. My heart is shattered for Nex’s siblings, who now have to live with the unspeakable trauma of losing Nex at the hands of other students.

 

My heart is shattered for all the young LGBTQIA kids in Oklahoma – and around the country – who all feel less safe today.

 

I know that feeling entirely too well.

 

We are living through an epidemic of violence particularly targeting the trans community. I’m running for Congress because we have to have LGBTQIA people at the table where the decisions that affect our lives are made. We have to pass federal legislation that protects LGBTQ rights and affirms our existence.

 

I will keep fighting for our right to live and to thrive until every kid feels safe, supported, protected – and free.

 

Please help me honor Nex’s memory and offer that support and safety to other LGBTQ kids with a donation to The Trevor Project today.

 

Thank you,

 

David
         

David Roth is a single, gay dad running for Idaho’s Second Congressional District. We’re going up against a GOP incumbent who has been in this seat for 25 years. It’s time for change in Idaho, and our grassroots campaign is building on the momentum that began in David’s race for U.S. Senate last cycle. The GOP is not planning to defend this seat, so we plan to take it from them and help Democrats retake the House majority next year. We’d love your support to build a solid campaign to bring progress to Idaho and the country.

 

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