LGBTQ
LGBTQ students have dealt with hate, bullying, and harassment at school for a long time now. Some students are feeling at risk. They are on edge after the death of Nex Benedict, a non-binary teenager who died after a fight in the Oklahoma public school restroom. The school hate crimes targeting the community have intensely risen of the years. The states where they have passed laws restricting LGBTQ students rights and education are climbing the fastest.
Bias Crime in Chicago
There are many hate crimes targeting the Lgbtq community. Our city of Chicago leads with the highest hate crime increase. The increase of 84%, Chicago became the number one most important city with the highest percentage from 2021 to 2022. Many feel as if the hate crimes are against just black people themselves and has something to do with racism. Not only that, but most of the situations here were against LGBTQ residents of the city.
In August or September 2023, someone intentionally hit and killed three queer men outside a gay bar in a hit-and-run. The Chicago police claimed responsibility for the incident but refused to take further action. As a result, one of the victims sustained critical injuries.
A 21 year old trans woman Unique banks was killed in a alleged anti trans shooting. They were told by the the Deputy Police chief Sean Loughran that police were investigating the shooting as a targeted home invasion instead of a hate crime.
It Continues In Schools
The current targeted attacks on transgender and nonbinary teens are fairly new. According to FBI DATA analyzed by the Washington Post where Lgbtq+ rights have been restricted about 28 anti hatred crimes at k-12 schools and colleges were reported once a year every year. The number tripled in the years 2021-22. In schools with K-12 the number of hatred crimes went up uncontrollably.
A 17 year old student, Carden reported he was harassed twice last autumn by a group of freshmen boys at his school because of his gender identity. One of them called him “queer” in an insulting manner. The second time, one of the boys told Carden to “just go die already” after calling the Pride flag he had inside his bookbag “pitiful”.
The Death Of A Student
Another example of hate crimes against the LGBTQ population, happened to a student named Nex Benedict. Furthermore, Nex, who used they/them pronouns, died on February 8, one day after confrontation in their school bathroom. The school staff sent Nex home but their grandmother took them to the hospital later that day and alerted the authorities. Nex was released from the hospital, and returned the very next day. Subsequently, the day of their death. The final autopsy report stated their death was due to them taking their own lives. However, because LGBTQ+ activists contend that Nex was the victim of bullying and that their death was motivated by their gender identity, the case has gained national attention.
In the statement from the hospital, Nex and their grandma told a police officer that three girls had been making fun of Nex and a friend for their clothes. That day, while these girls were in the restroom, Nex found their comments insulting and poured water on them. According to Nex, “all three of them came at me.” Resulting in a fight breaking out. This month, the Department of Education’s office for Civil Rights began looking into the activities of their school.
How It Effects others lives
The mother of a transgender teenager in Mississippi claimed in an interview that the teen had experienced regular harassment from classmates last year because of his short hair, boyish attire, and breast binders. Over time that year, her son’s stress-related midnight vomiting episodes occurred frequently. He ended up missing almost three weeks of school as a result of breakdowns brought on by bullying. According to the mother, she spoke anonymously out of concern for her sons family members who do not agree with his gender identity.
She claimed that at times her son had suicidal thoughts and had kept a journal in which he described his plans of taking ones life. He also cut himself, she indicated. She said, “He feels ashamed. He has a hard time making friends.” Mississippi passed a law restricting transgender children from participating on teams that correspond to their gender identity in 2021. The mother claimed that she felt that things were only getting worse, in part because of that governmental policy.
Written by Janiyah White
Sources:
The Washington Post: In state laws targeting LGBTQ issues, school hate crimes quadrupled
The Hill: FBi crime statistic show anti-Lgbtq hate crimes on the rise
Rekon: Hate crimes are soaring in major US cities and LGBTQ folks are most at risk
Featured Image Courtesy of Besisika’s Flickr – Creative Commons
Inset Image Courtesy of trollhare’s Flickr – Creative Commons
