Happy Trans Day of Visibility
Rest In Peace | Nex Benedict
January 11, 2008 – February 8, 2024
Another instance of schools, governments, police, and individuals failing the transgender community emerges. The incidence of bullying against transgender individuals is on the rise, paralleled by an increase in legislation targeting them. In Nex's home state of Oklahoma, over 60+ anti-trans laws have been introduced in 2024 alone. These laws do not offer protection; rather, they are designed to perpetuate harm against transgender individuals.
Oklahoma has failed Nex. The government has failed Nex.
As long as these laws persist, we will continue to lose members of the transgender community, and any government that fails to safeguard its citizens from such legislation is complicit in the murders and suicides dooming the transgender community.
Anarchy is the only option.
We are seething at the relentless injustices our transgender siblings endure daily. It's enraging to witness the systematic oppression, violence, and hatred aimed at us, simply for daring to exist authentically.
We refuse to remain silent in the face of this pervasive transphobia that infests our society like a disease. The status quo, with its hierarchies and power structures, only serves to perpetuate this bigotry, and we are sick and tired of it.
We embrace anarchy because we recognize that the current systems are rigged against us, designed to keep us down and keep us quiet. But we won't stand for it any longer. We demand chaos to disrupt the oppressive order and pave the way for true equality.
Within our ranks, we declare unequivocally that trans rights are not up for negotiation. Every transgender individual deserves to live without fear, without discrimination, and without violence. We will not rest until every last one of them can walk the streets with pride and dignity.
Our fury fuels our resolve to dismantle the structures of oppression, brick by brick, until they crumble to the ground. We will not be silenced, we will not be placated, and we will not stop fighting until justice prevails. Solidarity is our weapon, and together, we will tear down the walls of bigotry and hatred, forging a future where every queer and transgender person can thrive without fear.
A message from Oldgate & Friends | Written by Sophia Atkinson & Lily Lu-Waters