GLAAD STATEMENT ON THE TRAGIC MURDER OF SAM NORDQUIST

(February 18, 2025 – New York, NY) – Today GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is releasing statements and resources for the media and community about the murder of Sam Nordquist, a Black transgender man from Minnesota. 

On February 13, Sam’s body was found in Yates County, New York. Investigators have since stated that Sam was killed after suffering months of prolonged physical and psychological torture. Sam was 24 years old, worked as a group home aide, and had been reported missing by his family on February 9th.

“He would give you the shirt off his back, very kind, loved his family, loved his nieces and nephew, very outgoing, worked hard,” Sam’s mother Linda told WROC.

Officials investigating Sam’s murder issued a statement over the weekend: “At this time we have no indication that Sam’s murder was a hate crime. To help alleviate the understandable concern [that] his murder could be a hate crime, we are disclosing that Sam and his assailants were known to each other, identified as LGBTQ+, and at least one of the defendants lived with Sam in the time period leading up to the instant offense.” 

While we are encouraged to see law enforcement act swiftly to investigate this horrific act, we caution investigators from ruling out hate crime charges based on this statement alone. Anti-LGBTQ hate can be perpetuated by anyone, regardless of their relationship to the victim or their own gender identity or sexual orientation. Multiple studies have shown, for example, that transgender and gender non-conforming people are at increased risk of experiencing intimate partner violence. 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement, reading in part: “The charges against these individuals are sickening and all New Yorkers should join together to condemn this horrific act…there must be justice for Sam Nordquist.” New York Attorney General Letitia James responded as well, stating in part: “This is beyond horrifying, and those responsible for this terrible act must be held accountable.”

In Sam’s home state of Minnesota, out trans State Representative Leigh Finke shared a memorial post for Sam on her social media, including: “I am sorry, Sam. You deserved a whole life, full of love and joy and peace, and you instead received the cruelest violence imaginable. All of our love, to Sam, to his loved ones. We will never stop fighting for our freedom. Trans liberation now.”

STATEMENT FROM OUTFRONT MINNESOTA AND LGBTQ COMMUNITY PARTNERS

“OutFront Minnesota and our community partners mourn the loss of Sam Nordquist. We mourn his loss and share our deepest sympathies with all those who were close to him. We know this arrives at a time our trans communities are facing a relentless assault of harmful policy and rhetoric across our nation. We know that this landscape escalates and amplifies the individual risk of violence. Trans lives matter, and we must all commit ourselves to the work of ending violence and discrimination. In Minnesota, and beyond.”

STATEMENT FROM THE NEW PRIDE AGENDA (NEW YORK LGBTQ ORGANIZATION)

“We are devastated and enraged by the horrific murder of Sam Nordquist, a Minnesotan whose life was brutally taken in the Finger Lakes region after enduring weeks of torture. While arrests have been made, we know this is not an isolated incident—it is a tragic consequence of the rising culture of hate in our society. We must continue to fight for a world where all LGBTQ+ people are safe, valued, and free from violence.”

STATEMENT FROM SARAH KATE ELLIS, PRESIDENT & CEO OF GLAAD

“Our hearts are broken over the loss of Sam Nordquist. Sam was more than just a statistic—he was a son, a brother, a friend, and a bright light in the lives of those who knew him. His life was stolen from him after enduring unspeakable cruelty. We stand in solidarity with Sam’s family, friends, and community as they demand justice. We refuse to let Sam’s story fade into silence. We demand accountability, we demand justice, and we demand a world where transgender people are safe, respected, and able to live freely.”

GLAAD’s ALERT Desk, which tracks incidents of anti-LGBTQ hate in the US, reported more than 800 anti-trans incidents in the US since June 2022. These include 120+ bomb threats, 55+ assaults, and 30+ cases of vandalism specifically targeting transgender and gender non-conforming people. People of color also made up 84% of all fatal violence targeting trans and gender-expansive victims since 2013, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

A vigil to celebrate Sam’s life and enduring legacy will be held on Friday, February 21, at The Church of the Village in New York City. More details can be found here. 

If you are in crisis, please reach out for help – 

Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860 

The Trevor Project’s Suicide Hotline: (866) 488-7386