Tallahassee, FL – On March 31, activists rallied at Cascades Park for Transgender Day of Visibility and demanded justice for Nex Benedict.

“Despite all of the wins we’ve made this legislative session, we cannot stop fighting until trans people are truly free from the systemic hate and violence that killed Nex Benedict,” said Joelle Nunez, president of the Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society.

On February 7, Nex Benedict, an Oklahoma teen, was assaulted by classmates in their Owasso high school bathroom. Benedict was attacked due to an altercation occurring after they were forced to use the bathroom correlating with their assigned gender at birth. The 16-year-old used he/they pronouns. Benedict would die from their injuries the following day, February 8.

Tavish Bryan, representing Food not Bombs, stated, “Their death is no more tragic than it was avoidable and those responsible deserve the utmost justice in return for their negligence, abuse and cruelty.”

Local Tallahassee activists organized in coordination with the national movement for Transgender Visibility Day. The need for nationwide action in support of transgender youth is ever present. The people need to demand justice for transgender people attacked by their peers and their representatives.

Kingsley Early, speaker for Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society reminded everyone, “It’s time that as a community we fight for trans rights and liberation not just today but every day.”

The threat of violence is pressing for transgender and nonbinary youth. According to the Trevor Project, 27% reported that they had been physically threatened or harmed due to their gender identity in the last year.

“The fight for trans liberation isn’t just about visibility. Although our progress should be noted, we have to understand that trans people deserve real equity when it comes to housing, employment, healthcare and legal justice,” said Delilah Pierre, president of Tallahassee Community Action Committee.

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