Nex Benedict death shows what happens when schools become hate vehicle. Stop this in Ohio.

Mallory Golski is the civic engagement and advocacy manager at Kaleidoscope Youth Center.

The ongoing nationwide anti-LGBTQIA+ bullying efforts at the hands of state legislators culminated in the Feb. 8 death of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old student at Owasso High School in Owasso, Oklahoma. 

The transgender, nonbinary, two-spirit sophomore died one day after they were reportedly beaten by three older classmates in a school bathroom, and nearly two years after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law Senate Bill 615, requiring students in K-12 schools to use the restroom or changing room facility that aligns with the sex assigned on their original birth certificate.

More: Joe Biden mourns death of Nex Benedict, LGBTQ+ teen who died by suicide

Teachers could have intervened in the bullying, but reportedly didn’t – but, what motivation had they to step in, when Tyler Wrynn, a former eighth-grade teacher in the Owasso school district, was forced to resign two years ago after receiving viral push back for his open support of LGBTQIA+ students?

The trajectory of these events was entirely preventable, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility to assume that another tragedy is likely – if not inevitable – because of comparable legislation in our state.

Ohio House Bill 183 would similarly restrict people to using the restrooms aligning with the sex markers on their original birth certificates, and it would leave the bill’s enforcement entirely up to the will of transphobic vigilantes.

What motivation will Ohio teachers have to intervene in bathroom bullying when legislators are working to pass House Bill 8, requiring teachers to “out” students to their families, even if doing so would compromise that student’s safety and well-being at home?

More: Ohio bill could mandate sharing student info even if teachers suspect parental abuse

Just as Kaleidoscope Youth Center houses the Ohio GSA (Genders and Sexualities Alliances) Network, Freedom Oklahoma is Oklahoma’s statewide GSA Network affiliate, helping K-12 gender and sexuality alliances and other school-affiliated pride organizations foster community and create safer and more inclusive environments for students.

But, when legislators use schools as the vehicle for their hateful rhetoric, students learn that it’s acceptable to torment classmates who dare to wear their favorite outfit or go to the bathroom.

And when teachers are vilified for supporting queer and trans students – and are subjected to laws that prevent them from doing so entirely – school professionals are forced to choose between keeping their job and keeping their students safe.

While more than half of LGBTQIA+ students report experiencing bullying at school because of their identity, 100% of gender-nonconforming young people in Ohio are currently experiencing bullying at the hands of the state legislature.

Nearly two-thirds of LGBTQIA+ young people have said that hearing about anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation worsened the state of their mental health.

Following the news of Nex’s death, the Indiana-based Rainbow Youth Project received a nearly 300% increase in mental health crisis counseling calls.

Two-spirit, transgender, gender-nonconforming and intersex youth should not have to be martyrs for their own right to exist. Yet, as with any other bullying, this torment takes its toll.

Nex Benedict, a headstrong teenager who loved cooking, Minecraft and sporting dapper vests, died by suicide, the Oklahoma Medical Examiner found. It’s a forewarned yet unfathomable conclusion that Ohio legislators must reckon with as they return to the Statehouse following their time on the primary campaign trail.

Are they comfortable with their own “electability” being a comorbidity?

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources or support, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit www.988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free, confidential services.

Mallory Golski is the civic engagement and advocacy manager at Kaleidoscope Youth Center, Ohio’s largest and longest-serving organization solely dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults ages 12 to 24.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio schools becoming hate vehicle. Nex Benedict show what can happen.