Here's How Oregonians Can Honor Nex Benedict

The recent tragic loss of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict has had an impact far outside Nex’s home state of Oklahoma. Throughout the country and here in Oregon, our communities are feeling the weight of grief, the fear of losing more children, and the inspiration to not let Nex’s life and death be in vain. 

Everyone reacts differently to such public and unthinkable losses, and there’s no one right way to grieve. In the last week, hundreds of Oregonians have turned out to public vigils honoring Nex, and thousands more have shared their image on social media. For Oregonians who feel motivated to continue honoring Nex, here are three things you can do to make Oregon a better home for transgender, nonbinary and gender-expansive youth.

Know your rights at school, and get involved with your school board.

The Oregon Department of Education’s LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Plan is among the best guidances in the country—but that only matters if it’s being followed through with action. Too many Oregon schools continue to be indifferent at best, and at worst actively hostile to LGBTQ2SIA+ youths’ affirmation and safety. Even in districts that do good work for inclusion, there’s still much progress to be made.

You don’t necessarily have to have a child enrolled in your local school district to become an advocate for queer and trans students. School board meetings are public, and schedules should be easily accessible online. If you have reason to believe youth aren’t being supported in your local district, you have a right to advocate for change at school board meetings, in meetings with school administrators, and in your community. Big changes—both positive and negative—can often start at the hyper-local level, and you don’t need any special qualifications to speak out for inclusion in your school district. 

Support Two Spirit youth.

Nex’s family is a part of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and members of the Two Spirit community are mourning Nex’s loss as their own.  

Portland’s Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) defines Two Spirit this way:

“Two Spirit is a term used by some Native American communities to describe individuals who possess both male and female spirits. These individuals have been revered and respected in many Native American cultures for their unique gifts and abilities. Historically, Two Spirit people were often seen as healers, spiritual leaders, and caretakers. They were believed to possess a special connection to the spiritual world and were often called upon to provide guidance and healing to their communities.  

However, with the arrival of European colonizers, the identities of Two Spirit people were forced into hiding, and their contributions to their communities were suppressed. European influence brought with it a rigid and binary understanding of gender and sexuality, which was at odds with the more fluid and accepting attitudes of many Native American cultures. In many cases, Two Spirit people were forced to hide their identities in order to avoid persecution or violence. “We were one of the first peoples to be targeted in every tribe with violence because of who we were as Two Spirit people,” said Two Spirit Programming Advocate Silas Hoffer, Yakama/Grand Ronde. “A lot of our erasure had to do with protecting us.”   

NAYA also operates the Two Spirit Safe Space Alliance, a “safe, privacy-protected space for cultural, social, supportive, and other programming to Two Spirit youth and allies.” If a youth in your life is in need of Two Spirit community in the Portland area, you can get in touch with NAYA here. 

Get involved with our work.

As the oldest and largest LGBTQ2SIA+ advocacy organization in the state, Basic Rights Oregon advances policy to support queer and trans youth from the classroom to the State Capitol, and from election season to law signings. 

You can get involved in our work by following us on Instagram and Facebook, and signing up for our email newsletter to learn about future volunteer and advocacy opportunities. If you have the means, you can also donate directly to our Transgender Justice Program to fuel our work. 

Help is available.

For LGBTQ2SIA+ young people experiencing mental health struggles as a result of the news about Nex’s passing, help is available through the Trevor Project.