>> Cathy: EARLIER THIS WEEK TWO WOMEN CHARGED WITH THE DEATH OF A MINNESOTA NATIVE SAM NORDQUIST WERE HANDED DOWN LIFE SENTENCES.

NORDQUIST, A BLACK TRANSGENDER MAN AS HELD HOSTAGE AND TORTURED FOR WEEKS IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION OF UPSTATE NEW YORK.

THE INVESTIGATION HAS NOT FOUND EVIDENCE OF A HATE CRIME.

OUTFRONT MINNESOTA IS AN LGBTQ + ADVOCATE GROUP THAT RUNS AN ANTIVIOLENCE PROGRAM.

CAT ROHN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS BACK WITH US, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, KAT.

CAN YOU TELL US WHO SAM NORDQUIST WAS FOR FOLKS NOT FAMILIAR ITH THE STORY >> YEAH, SAM NORDQUIST WAS A TRANSGENDER MAN HERE FROM MINNESOTA WHO HAD MOVED OUT TO NEW YORK STATE AT THE TIME WHEN HE WAS KILLED.

BUT GREW UP HERE AND GREW UP WITH A FAMILY HERE AND WAS WELL CONNECTD TO MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY IN THE RED WING AREA AND ALSO HERE WITHIN THE TWIN CITIES.

>> Cathy: NOW, THIS IS NOT A HATE CRIME BUT IT'S GOT TO BE BIASED VIOLENCE, RIGHT?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE OFTEN GET KIND OF STUCK IN IS THE IDEA THAT ALL CRIMES THAT IMPACT MARGINALIZED GROUPS ARE HATE CRIME BY DEFINITION AND HATE CRIMES AND BIAS MOTIVATED CRIMES HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC SET OF LEGAL DEFINITIONS AROUND THEM.

IT'S CERTAINLY A HORRIFIC ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST SOMEBODY FROM A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY.

BUT THOSE ARE SOMEWHAT SEPARATE THINGS BETWEEN WHAT IS ACTUALLY CONSTITUTING A REAL HATE CRIME OR IAS CRIME AND WHAT IS SIMPLY AN ACT OF TRAGIC AND AWFUL VIOLENCE.

>> Eric: ONLINE RELATIONSHIP SEEMS TO BE CENTRAL TO THIS AND I WONDER IF THAT'S A BROADER ISSUE IN THE COMMUNITY.

>> YEAH, WELL, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, INTIMATE PARTNER IOLENCE AND OTHER VIOLENCE LIKE THAT CAN BE VISITED ON JUST ABOUT ANYBODY FROM ANY BACKGROUND.

UNFORTUNATELY LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE SOMETIMES MORE VULNERABLE TO FOLKS WHO MIGHT SEEK TO VICTIMIZE THEM BECAUSE THEY'VE MAYBE BEEN ISOLATED FROM SOME OF THE SOCIAL SUPPORT LETTERS SOME OF THE PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS THAT MIGHT HELP THEM TO NAVIGATE OUT OF A HARMFUL SITUATION, AND SO THAT IS ONE CONCERN THAT OFTEN COMES UP FOR OUR COMMUNITIES IS THAT THE SUPPORTS THAT EXIST FOR OTHER FOLKS MAY NOT EXIST AS STRONGLY FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, AND FOLKS MAY PREY UPON S BECAUSE OF THE VULNERABILITIES WE HAVE AS A MARGINALIZED GROUP.

>> Cathy: IS THERE MORE OF A DANGER BEING PREYED UPON ONLINE NOWADAYS BECAUSE OF THE CHAT ROOMS AND DATING SITES AND ALL OF THAT >> YEAH, I THINK CERTAINLY WHAT WE SEE IS THAT THE MOVE TO ONLINE SPACES AND ANONYMITY THEY PROVIDE DOES PROTECT PREDATORS TO A GREATER DEGREE BUT CERTAINLY THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO THIS CURRENT ERA AND FOLKS HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITIES FOR MANY YEARS.

>> Cathy: HOW COMMON ARE ACTS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST TRANSGENDER FOLKS?

>> UNFORTUNATELY TRANS FOLKS AS A WHOLE EXPERIENCE VIOLENCE AND OFTEN VIOLENCE MOTIVATED BY BIOAT A FAR HIGHER RATE AND PARTICULARLY TRANS FOLKS WHO ARE BLACK AND INDIGENOUS ARE FACING RATES OF VIOLENCE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER, FOUR OR FIVE TIMES HIGHER THAN THEIR PEERS AND SO THAT IS CERTAINLY A CONCERN FOR US AND CERTAINLY A CONCERN AT A TIME WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND OTHER GROUPS RE STEPPING BACK FROM PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC CULTURAL SUPPORT TO GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS PREVENTING VIOLENCE AND SUPPORTING THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING IT.

>> Eric: TELL US ABOUT YOUR ANTIVIOLENCE PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE.

>> YEAH, E AVE RUN AN ANTIVIOLENCE PROGRAM AT UPOUTFRONT MINNESOTA FOR MANY DECADES AND WHAT WE DO IS PROVIDE SUPPORT TO VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE AND DISCRIMINATION ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

MANY OF THOSE ARE MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY.

AND WE PROVIDE SUPPORT TO FOLKS ALL OVER THE STATE SO NOT JUST HERE IN THE TWIN CITIES BUT, YOU KNOW, UP ON THE IRON RANGE AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA, ALL ACROSS THE STATE.

AND WHAT WE'VE CERTAINLY SEEN POST-THE 2024 ELECTION ESPECIALLY HAS BEEN A RISE IN ACTS OF VIOLENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES AND WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS FOR FOLKS.

>> Cathy: WHAT WERE THE RIPPLE EFFECTS TO SAM'S UNTIMELY DEATH IN THE COMMUNITY?

CAN YOU GIVE US A SENSE OF THAT?

>> YEAH, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S UNIQUE ALWAYS WHEN WE LOSE A MEMBER OF OUR LGBTQ COMMUNITY IS THAT WE ARE A TIGHT KNIT AND CLOSE COMMUNITY.

THERE ARE A LOT OF LGBTQ FOLKS ACROSS THE STATE, MANY TRANS FOLKS ACROSS THE STATE, THESE DEATHS HAVE A VERY PERSONAL IMPACT FOR THOSE WHO SHARE THOSE IDENTITIES BOTH BECAUSE WE OFTEN SHARE THOSE SOCIAL CIRCLES BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT FEELS MORE PERSONAL BECAUSE OF THAT SHARED SENSE OF IDENTITY.

THIS WAS A REALLY HORRIFIC ACT BUT ALSO WOMAN THAT TOUCHES A NERVE FOR MANY FOLKS IN COMMUNITY FEELING ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE AT THE TIME.

>> Cathy: I'M WONDERING, FINAL QUESTION HERE FOR YOU, WOULD THE COMMUNITY DO ANYTHING TO MEMORIALIZE SAM AT ALL?

ANY PLANS FOR THAT >> THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF MEMORIALS, THERE WAS A VIGIL HELD FOR SAM OUTSIDE THE MINNESOTA CAPITOL SHORTLY FTER HIS DEATH.

THERE WAS A MEMORIAL AND VIGIL IN RED WING IN THAT COMMUNITY.

THERE'S BEEN A MEMORIAL AND VIGIL WITH HIS MOM AND SOME OTHER REMEMBRANCES.

I KNOW THE FAMILY IS EAGER TO HAVE THOSE CONTINUED REMEMBRANCES IN THE COMMUNITY HAS HELD THOSE SPACES BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HOLD THAT GRIEF COLLECTIVELY.

IT'S NOT JUST THE GRIEF OF ONE FAMILY WHO WE OBVIOUSLY THINK ABOUT AND ARE FOR DEEPLY.

CFSS, UT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

>> Cathy: