I'm very proud of the students at #Owasso High school who walked out of classes today in protest of their school's bullying policies and the ongoing mistreatment of transgender youth.
I'm very proud of the students at #Owasso High school who walked out of classes today in protest of their school's bullying policies and the ongoing mistreatment of transgender youth.
#NexBenedict, #Oklahoma#nonbinary teen died after #school fight amid reported #bullying
…The [statement] from the school district provided some background: The fight on Feb 7 involved several students at the HS. It was broken up by other students & a staff member. All of those involved “walked under their own power to the asst principal’s office & nurse’s office” &, per “district protocols,” were evaluated by the nurse.
#Owasso is a Tulsa suburb of about 40k in the NE corner of #Oklahoma, a #conservative state where #LGBTQ+ issues are lightning rods of controversy.
Last year, #Republican Gov #KevinStitt signed an executive order defining an individual’s sex as the “biological sex” at birth. Laws took effect requiring students to use bathrooms that match their sex assigned at birth & restricting #gender-affirming care for trans youths.
This year, [Oklahoma] legislators already have proposed >50 anti-LGBTQ+ laws — more than any other state, according to the ACLU.
The man who heads #PublicEducation in #Oklahoma is also a vocal critic of #LGBTQ+ rights. Superintendent #RyanWalters appointed #ChayaRaichik — the #conservative activist behind #LibsOfTikTok, which has targeted LGBTQ-friendly teachers at #Owasso schools — to a state library advisory board.
Sue Benedict told TheIndependent she was called to the school that day to find #NexBenedict badly beaten w/bruises over their face & eyes, & w/scratches on the back of their head.
Nex told her that they & another #transgender student at #Owasso HS had been in a fight w/3 older girls in a girls bathroom. Nex was knocked to the ground during the fight & hit their head on the floor….
It has been a very busy week with #Volunteer work days, and hikes, complicated with trying to help respond to the creationist crap science that was used to attack our book on the #GrandCanyon (2016). That was, at times, infuriating, so I needed those hikes to let off some steam (and scream from time to time).
Multiple #Bird sightings, but I liked this view of the original road that lead from #Tulsa to #Owasso. It is now one of our trails for bikes, running ... The gate in the distance is our northern boundary. #Wetlands to the right, and an incised stream to the left. The deer is crossing toward the wetlands. This is a #200mm#HyperFocal shot.