Why did Nex Benedict die?

CW: suicide, anti-trans violence, the death of a child

Earlier today, my husband sent me a link to a Substack post called “The Importance of Getting the Full Picture.” His only comment was, “I don’t know what to think of this.” Having read the post, I’m not entirely sure what to make of it, either.

The basic premise of the piece is that liberal activists and media outlets got way ahead of the facts in reporting on the death of Nex Benedict, a gender-nonconforming teen who died on February 8. I can say that when I wrote about this story on February 21, I almost immediately had to post a correction regarding Benedict’s relationship with the Cherokee Nation. (They lived within the borders of the Cherokee reservation in Oklahoma, but they were not a tribal citizen.) In my own writing, I repeated the assumptions of others and let my imagination—and my emotional reaction to the death of a trans child—to fill in the story where the facts were unavailable. I assumed, in short, that their death was the result of a transphobic assault by some of Benedict’s classmates.

Since I wrote my post, Benedict’s death has been declared a suicide and Cathy Young, the author of “The Importance of Getting the Full Picture,” suggests that the extent of the injuries Benedict suffered during the fight that preceded their death was exaggerated in early reporting. Young also questions the narrative that the girls who fought with Benedict were motivated by transphobia. She then goes further to list the other reasons Benedict might have taken their own life, including a history of mental illness sexual abuse.

At first read, Young’s article seems like a careful articulation of the reasons why we, as a society, shouldn’t do what I did, which is to say create a story scaffolded by bias. But I also think it’s worth questioning Young’s biases. She is a contributing editor at Reason, which bills itself as the country’s “leading libertarian magazine.” She also writes for The Bulwark, which has this to say on their “About” page: “Fox News hosting a White Power Hour. Twitter turning into Pepe Town Alt-Light X. An entire political movement obsessed with drag queens and bathrooms. Pandemics, insurrections, and a Bad Orange Man.”

It is not ridiculous for Young to suggest that folks on the left were quick to label Benedict’s death a hate crime. Neither is it, I think, out-of-line to ask if Young is a bit too eager to erase transphobia from the story.

It’s not fair to conflate Young with the publications for which she works. I have had disagreements with other writers who contribute to publications I’ve appeared in. However, I do agree with the mission of the outlets for whom I write, so I think it’s fair to ask Young which “entire political movement [is] obsessed with drag queens and bathrooms?” Because, from where I’m sitting, I’d say it’s the people trying to make drag illegal and using laws about public toilets to make the argument that trans people do not exist or, if they do exist, pose a unique threat to women and children.

I agree that it’s important to get the facts straight—or, at least, all the facts that we can. There is other follow-up reporting on this story besides Young’s take. I’ll let you find the outlets you trust the most if you want more answers. Which is not to say that you are going to learn why Nex Benedict died. But please do not let the possibility that transphobia was not the sole cause of this tragedy—or even a significant contributor to this tragedy—be used as evidence that transphobia does not exist or is not harmful.

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I shared this chart in my original post. I’m sharing it again here because it’s still true and still important. Also still true:

• Oklahoma is one of 11 states in which students must use the restroom that matches the gender they were assigned at birth. (source)
• 76% of gender nonconforming kids feel unsafe at school. (source)
• Gender nonconforming kids are 5 times more likely to be attacked or threatened at school than cisgender kids. (source)

You can argue with me, if you like, about causality and correlation if you like. Before you do, though, I should let you know that there is a movement called #illgowithyou aimed at helping trans folks—including kids—find a “bathroom buddy” if they’re afraid to use a public toilet. And the American Medical Association felt compelled to put out a statement explaining the potentially serious health impacts of laws that make kids scared to go to the restroom at school.

Like I said above, it’s important to get the facts right. I will add that we can acknowledge the complexity and unknowns around Nex Benedict’s death without letting them become an excuse for harming more trans children.

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