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First Lady goes to bat for LGBTQ+ rights: 'They want to take our victories away, but we won’t let them'

First Lady Dr Jill Biden speaks Nex Benedict death HRC Dinner speech 2024

Courtesy HRC via Getty Images

Amidst a backdrop of protest and advocacy, Dr. Jill Biden highlights the ongoing battle for LGBTQ+ rights and remembers LGBTQ+ teen Nex Benedict.

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More than 650 advocates and supporters of LGBTQ+ rights attended the Human Rights Campaign 2024 Los Angeles Dinner on Saturday. The evening was marked by powerful speeches celebrating the community’s progress and highlighting the pressing challenges ahead. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and HRC President Kelley Robinson were among the distinguished speakers at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel, offering compelling insights into LGBTQ+ rights today.

Biden’s speech, warmly received by attendees, stressed the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community and the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to supporting its rights and dignity.

However, the evening also faced moments of disruption. As Biden took the stage, her address was briefly interrupted by a group of protesters voicing concerns over the Israel-Hamas war. The protesters, advocating for a ceasefire, were quickly escorted out as supporters chanted, “Four more years!”

Biden opened her remarks with praise for the leadership within the LGBTQ+ community, recognizing Robinson and her wife, Becky George.

“You and Becky are such an amazing power couple. Joe and I have really enjoyed getting to know you both. You have quickly established yourself as an inspiring leader of HRC, and we need you to continue to lead us with your grace and grit,” Biden said. Robinson, the ninth HRC president, is the first Black queer woman to lead the organization.

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First Lady Dr Jill Biden speaks Nex Benedict death HRC Dinner speech 2024 human rights campaign president kelley robinson Courtesy HRC via Getty Images

Reflecting on the ongoing battle for LGBTQ+ rights, Biden highlighted the adversity facing the community, particularly its younger members. She discussed the story of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old transgender sophomore of Indigenous heritage in Oklahoma, whose tragic death highlighted the devastating impact of bullying and discrimination.

“Laws and attitudes can lead to devastating consequences — harm that can’t be undone, that leaves parents torn by grief. Parents and grandparents like Sue Benedict — may Nex rest in peace — and the countless others who have lost LGBTQ children to suicide, bullying, and hate. Parents who have stood by their kids, loved them, learned from them, but who will never have another tomorrow with them,” she said.

Although the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner’s office released a summary report listing Benedict’s manner of death as by suicide and probable cause toxicity of diphenhydramine and fluoxetine — a common over-the-counter antihistamine and a anti-depressant — advocates and experts have warned not to draw conclusions before the release of a complete autopsy report expected on March 27.

Biden also celebrated the significant victories achieved in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, crediting these advancements to the resilience and perseverance of the community and its allies.

“Thanks to President Biden, marriage equality is now the law of the land. He ended the ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. He’s made it possible for trans Americans to serve openly, honorably in the military. And he’s standing firmly against conversion therapy,” she said.

Shortly after taking office in 2021, President Biden repealed the Trump-era ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military. In 2022, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, which protected marriage equality under federal law. Last year, the federal government implemented new policies allowing gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men to donate blood, ending decades of discrimination.

Yet, the first lady warned that the journey for equality is far from over, pointing to the current climate of heightened attacks on LGBTQ+ rights. “Today, this community is under attack. Rights are being stripped away. Freedoms are eroding. More and more state laws are being passed targeting this community,” she said.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 479 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures nationwide this year alone.

Biden also reinforced her and the administration’s commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community in the face of adversity. “They want us to be afraid. They want to take our victories away, but we won’t let them. Your president won’t let them. I won’t let them,” she said.

Following Biden, Robinson took the stage, echoing the sentiments of urgency and resilience in the face of ongoing challenges. Robinson’s speech focused on the current state of emergency facing the LGBTQ+ community, amplified by the story of Nex Benedict, which she discussed in detail. “As parents, we send our children off to school each day, hoping and praying that they will come home unharmed and alive. That did not happen for Nex,” Robinson said.

Robinson also highlighted the broader implications of such tragedies, pointing to the systemic failures and societal attitudes that contribute to the marginalization and endangerment of LGBTQ+ youth. She called for accountability and the removal of figures who perpetuate these harmful conditions, noting, “It’s past time for the removal of [Oklahoma schools] superintendent Ryan Walters. This week, HRC launched an all-out campaign — we are on the ground in Oklahoma activating the community. And guess what, they don’t want him there either — this week, we released a poll showing that the majority of Oklahomans want him removed. We’re gonna make it happen and send a clear message — if you come for our kids, we are coming for you.”

After Robinson wrote to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona demanding a federal investigation, the department’s Office of Civil Rights opened a probe into the public schools in Owasso, where Benedict attended.

First Lady speaks Nex Benedict death HRC Dinner speech 2024 human rights campaign actors Jean Smart Sterling K Brown Courtesy HRC via Getty Images

The evening also featured performances by actors Sterling K. Brown and Jean Smart. Other special guests included Tariq Trotter, known for his foundational role in The Roots; Tarell Alvin McCrane, the mind behind Moonlight; Hannah Einbinder, breakout star and writer from HACKS; and comedian Dana Goldberg.

Raffy Ermac contributed reporting.

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.

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