Sam Nordquist was born at the turn of the millennium and grew up in Red Wing, Minnesota with a loving family. Like other young people, he went through typical coming-of-age milestones: he attended high school, got dozens of tattoos, and came to know himself better. But unlike most young people, in discovering himself, he discovered that, although he had been assigned female at birth, his gender identity was male.

Mr. Nordquist continued living in the Twin Cities area as he entered adulthood; living either in Saint Paul or Oakdale, Minnesota, depending on the source. Sometime late last year he flew to New York State. He would never return to Minnesota.

On Saturday, The New York Times reported on his murder. Mr. Nordquist was tortured for over a month, murdered, and then dumped in a field in upstate New York. Although police have not publicly stated a motive for the crime, it is difficult for me to imagine that Mr. Nordquist would have been tortured and murdered for anything other than his identity.

Even in a country where dozens of transgender people are murdered for their gender identities every year, the allegations in this case are particularly repugnant. Police allege that Mr. Nordquist “was subjected to prolonged physical and psychological abuse before being transported to Yates County, where the remains were disposed of.” To be murdered for who you are is horrific; to be tortured for over a month first is nauseating. Worse, this wasn’t some lone actor: five separate people have already been charged in his murder; more charges may be on the way.

The allegations made by New York State police seem consistent with a targeted, premeditated murder. This was not a crime of passion; it was a persecution. Yet despite a month of torture, it was only after Mr. Nordquist’s family lost contact with him and asked law enforcement to conduct a wellness check, that the state became involved.

Mr. Nordquist’s murder should shock our nation. It is reminiscent of some of the most infamous crimes in American history; Matthew Shepard’s 1998 murder in Wyoming, among others. Throughout human history, people have been killed because of who they are. They are killed because they are looked down upon, dehumanized, and denigrated. It is not enough to not commit the crime; we are obligated, as members of society, to stand up to the worst impulses of our fellow human beings.

I firmly believe that political speech is a fundamental aspect of our democracy. I don’t believe that individuals should be punished solely for their speech indirectly influencing a crime’s commission. However, given the prevalence of anti-transgender speech in our country, it seems reasonable to draw a connection between the political rhetoric used by certain individuals and the environment in which Mr. Nordquist’s murder occurred.

On Thursday, the same day police executed a warrant as part of their investigation into Mr. Nordquist’s disappearance, the Trump Administration removed all references to transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument website.

We can do better. We should do better. We must do better.