“The conditions leading to Sam Nordquist’s murder are a horrible combination of factors – growing permissiveness for anti-trans sentiment, lack of support for trans people of color seeking out close relationships, and a cultural indifference to the humanity of LGBTQ people. In a political moment in which the forward momentum of support and access to care for trans people in the United States is being actively eroded, the number of trans victims of homicide remains significant, with more than thirty deaths in 2024, about 70% of which were transgender people of color,” said Audacia Ray, Interim Executive Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.
Though many stories of anti-trans violence focus on stranger danger and public incidents, about 30% of trans homicides in the past year were committed by someone known to the victim – including intimate partners. The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) supports LGBTQ+ survivors of all kinds of violence, and unfortunately there are a significant number of cases we respond to that sit at the intersection of transphobia, racism, intimate partner violence, and hate violence. AVP urges media and law enforcement to look closely at the different factors of this case.
At 24 years old, Sam was seeking acceptance and care when he traveled from his Minnesota home to the Rochester area of upstate New York to meet an online paramour in September 2024. By January 1, 2025 Sam had lost contact with his mother and siblings, with whom he had a loving relationship. The family’s active concern for him and requests for a welfare check led to the discovery of his tragic death this past week. Five people, including the woman Sam had traveled to New York to meet, have been arrested in connection with the crime, and there is evidence that Sam was tortured over a period of at least a month leading up to his death. This is a complex case that, in addition to potentially fitting the hate crime designation, may involve intimate partner violence, coercion, group bullying dynamics, and extensive physical and psychological violence.
The New York City Anti-Violence Project is the only LGBTQ+ focused rape crisis center in New York State. AVP operates a 24/7 English/Spanish hotline for LGBTQ+ survivors of violence, with free crisis counseling. If you need support, call AVP at 212-714-1141 or report online at avp.org/get-help.
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