HARTFORD, Conn — More than 100 members of Connecticut’s LGBTQIA+ community gathered inside the State Capitol Wednesday for a candlelight vigil to honor Nex Benedict.
“Their name was Nex Benedict, they were a 16-year-old, non-binary, transgender, two spirit young person from Oklahoma, and they were let down by their village,” said Leah Juliett of Equality Connecticut.
Benedict died earlier this month a day after being attacked by three other students in a school bathroom in Owasso, Oklahoma.
Benedict’s death comes months after Oklahoma lawmakers passed a bill that required students to use the bathroom based on their gender assigned at birth, rather than their gender identity.
Over a dozen lawmakers attended the vigil including Governor Ned Lamont who got emotional at times. “We want our kids to be who they are, we want them to be respected. We want them to be loved. And when I heard about this death, it was like a death in my own family,” said Lamont.
The Governor assured members of the LGBTQIA+ community that they belong in Connecticut.
“We're not going to be that bad village. We're going to be Connecticut; we're going to stand for each and every one of you. We love you for who you are,” said Lamont.
Wednesday’s vigil gave transgender and non-binary youth a platform to express how this tragedy affects them.
The vigil was hosted by State Representative Sarah Keitt and made possible by more than a dozen non-profits and advocacy groups.
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