New Jersey was just one of many locations nationwide this weekend, holding vigils honoring 16 year old Nex Benedict.

The Oklahoma teenager who identified as non-binary, died in early February, one day after being attacked in their high school bathroom as the apparent target of bullying Benedict's death is sparking calls against anti LGBTQ legislation and rhetoric like book bans as allies remind the public this traumatic incident hits close to home for far too many here in the state.

Melissa Ross Cooper reports.

There has to be a point where we stand up and say, enough, enough with the bullying.

These kids deserve.

A chance to live.

Their authentic truths.

Members and advocates of the LGBTQ plus community gathered inside Universalist Unitarian Congregation at Montclair over the weekend to remember the life of next Benedict.

The 16 year old nonbinary student from Oklahoma died earlier this month, a day after their family says fellow students beat them in their high school bathroom.

I am a non-binary adult, which is what next would have looked like had they survived until age 42.

I never thought I would make it to age 42.

I didn't think I would make it past the age of 23.

I didn't think I would make it past the age of 33.

But here I am looking.

In December at age 43.

So I wanted to do nothing else but to give the people in this room an opportunity to look at what a thriving, joyful, proud, non-binary, trans masculine adult can look like.

Because I want you to talk about us in front of your children.

Because if kids do not see an option for themselves as a grown up, what do they do with that?

They either suppress who they are or they do not survive.

Although police say preliminary information from an autopsy report shows Nix's death wasn't a result of trauma.

Members of the LGBTQ plus community say their treatment in school is a prime example of the challenges transgender and non-binary children face.

New Jersey is not innocuous to us happening across the country and directly what we're seeing with hate speech and bias and rhetoric.

Bullying that happened to necks in Oklahoma and other students that are facing Oklahoma and other states.

We're also seeing high impacts of bullying, in fact, in students in here in New Jersey.

Shannon Cuttle is the chairperson of the New Jersey Anti-bullying Task Force.

Cuttle says the organization's most recent report found hate and bias speech quadrupled in the state, with over 10,000 harassment, intimidation and bullying incidents reported.

The largest number since New Jersey's anti-bullying bill went into effect.

And climate and culture of our schools are directly linked to how students feel safe and supported emotionally, physically and academically.

And we have seen and a report highlights that since 2016 or last, the last time the anti-bullying task force issued a report that there's a direct link to what's happening on the national level and what we're seeing.

Within classrooms, hallways are linked to what's happening either on state legislatures.

And there are coming from our leaders with hate speech and rhetoric that are targeting our most vulnerable and marginalized populations.

We know that representation matters.

Right.

And I said sat inside at the vigil, you know, to every person who is advocating for repealing policies that protect trans folks, you know, for all the folks who are attempting to ban trans and non-binary folks from bathrooms and all the hateful rhetoric that is out there, this this is this is the consequence of all of that.

Advocates are calling on legislators to do more when it comes to protecting members of the LGBTQ plus community.

So children like necks can live long lives without fear.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Melissa Rose Cooper.