'Grieve together and heal together': ABQ community holds vigil for Nex Benedict

Emotions were high and raw on Sunday night, as roughly 80 members of the Albuquerque community came together at Morningside Park to hold a solidarity vigil in honor of the life of 16-year-old Nex Benedict, an Oklahoma teenager who died in early February following a fight in a high school girls’ bathroom.

Benedict, who identified as nonbinary and often used they/them pronouns, was the target of bullying and died a day after their fight with three girls in the bathroom .

Benedict’s death has caused an outpouring of grief, especially from LGBTQ+ groups across the county. Sunday’s vigil in Albuquerque was among latest in a series of vigils that have been held for Benedict in several states.

The crowd that gathered Sunday night offered each other support and a place of healing to honor not only Benedict but all victims of anti-LGBTQ+ violence. Numerous representatives from LGBTQ+ support organizations gave speeches about the importance of community resources and peer support for the transgender and queer community.

Performer Rain Chapman, who is Diné and a transgender woman, gave an emotional lip sync and dance performance, which Chapman said was focused on self love: “You have to love yourself, because if you can love yourself, you can accept love within the (LGBTQ+) community.”

The theme of self love and the importance of community support was a constant throughout the vigil. Pamphlets with names and numbers of community resources and organizations were handed out to those who attended.

“When somebody is harmed in our community, which happens way too frequently, it’s necessary for us to grieve together and heal together,” said Selinda Guerrero, who was one of the vigil organizers.

Those who attended brought photos of their own loved ones who lost their lives to anti-LGBTQ+ violence.

“This event was mostly a labor of love,” said Alex Ross-Reed, executive director of Heal Plus NM. “People really came together wanting this healing space.”

Ross-Reed said it has been scary lately for members of the LGBTQ+ community, given the legislative attacks coming from various state legislatures .

“When I was organizing back in 2015, when we got marriage rights, it felt like people cared about us and things were going up, and now I’m really seeing a lot less investment in our community and less support,” Ross-Reed said.

However, Ross-Reed found solace in Sunday evening’s large turnout in honor of Benedict and other loved ones lost.

“I’m really glad to see everyone here. It’s been a very somber week and it feels sad that we need this, but I feel so enveloped with love by our community,” Ross-Reed said.