Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old biracial transgender man, was murdered in upstate New York this month. Anti-trans violence is sadly nothing new, but the brutal death of this young man, whom classmates describe as “a friend without limits,” feels particularly horrific, underscoring the need to keep fighting against anti-trans policies and rhetoric.
I’m not going to relate the details of Nordquist’s death here, except to say they were awful; you can read more at the Guardian or other news sites if you wish. Five people have been arrested and charged with his murder.
Nordquist, who was from Minnesota, was “an animal lover who worked at a group home for vulnerable adults,” his mother told KARE 11. “He had a heart of gold and wouldn’t hurt anybody,” (Again, content warning if you click that link, which has further details about his death.)
His mother shared with KARE 11, “The last thing Sam said is, ‘I love you, and I’ll call you tomorrow.’ Tomorrow came and I never heard a word.”
As a mother, I can think of nothing worse.
Sam’s high school classmates, furthermore, put up a memorial post describing him as “a jester, a prankster – always setting up the next laugh with his cheshire cat grin” and “a friend without limits.” They add, “We worry, however, in the effort to make sure nothing like this occurs again, Sam, the person, will be swept away in the wave of someone else’s hate,” but affirm, “We are here to tell you that he was also loved.”
Nordquist’s death comes almost exactly a year after that of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary trans teen—but although their deaths made national headlines, they are only two of many trans young people who have lost their lives to violence or suicide in the past few years (and even further back). According to Sue Kerr of Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents, who tracks this, trans youth 25 and under represent nearly 50% of the reported violent deaths of trans Americans in 2024.
Whatever the immediate motivations of any of these deaths, they occurred in a climate of widespread anti-trans hate. It is not unreasonable to see a connection. We must do more to combat this and to understand, support, and protect trans children and young adults. To start, I suggest:
- Advocates for Trans Equality’s “Supporting Transgender People” and “How to Testify for Trans Rights“
- The Trevor Project’s “Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People“
- HRC’s “Supporting Transgender, Non-binary, and Gender-Expansive Children“
- The additional “Resources for Support and Action” that I shared in a post a few days ago.
No matter what their identities, hug your kids today; let them know you love them no matter what. If they’re trans, the resources above may be helpful for you in supporting them; if they’re cisgender, the resources may be helpful in showing them how to be allies to their trans peers. I hope the resources also help us adults to take action in support of trans youth, in our families, communities, and the wider world. May Sam Nordquist’s life and “heart of gold,” too soon lost, not be forgotten.
 A GoFundMe has been set up by Nordquist’s sister to help the family. As always, do your own research before making online donations for any cause.Â
