The murder of Sara Millerey González has ripped through Colombia’s queer community like a dagger through the chest. The 32-year-old trans woman was raped, beaten so severely her arms and legs were shattered, and then dumped—still alive—into a stream like yesterday’s garbage.
This was no accident. It was hate, pure and simple. Transphobia dressed up in violence, executed with cruelty, and left to rot under the indifferent eyes of society. Even as firefighters tried to rescue her, bystanders filmed the horror and posted it online—turning Sara’s suffering into viral spectacle. Days later, she died in a hospital bed. And the videos? They’re still up.
This wasn’t just murder. It was a message.
25 and counting: A deadly year for Colombia’s LGBTQ community
Sara’s killing marks the 25th queer death in Colombia in just a few short months—a grim reminder that being visibly LGBTQ in parts of the world is a life-threatening act of courage. Demonstrations have erupted across major cities—Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, and Bello—all demanding justice. At Sara’s vigil, candles flickered beside her photograph. Trans flags waved in fury and grief.
“This is structural violence,” activist Elizabeth Castillo declared, standing in front of mourners. “And we are here to reject it, loudly.”
President Gustavo Petro took to social media, labeling Sara’s murder “fascism.” He warned that Colombia’s festering hate wasn’t just ugly—it was lethal. “Fascism is the violent elimination of human differences,” he wrote. “What happened in Bello is fascism, because there are Nazis in Colombia.”
He’s not wrong.
‘We cannot stay silent’: A city’s promise and a nation’s shame
Bello’s mayor, Lorena González Ospina, didn’t mince words: “Sara was brutally attacked… It is deeply painful to think this happened amid the indifference of so many. We cannot allow transphobia to keep taking lives in silence.”
With her voice trembling, she made a vow. “We will demand justice for Sara… Transphobia kills. No more indifference, and no more silence.”
Local authorities are now offering a 50 million Colombian peso reward (about $11,000) for information that leads to the capture of Sara’s murderers. But justice isn’t a reward—it’s a right. And too often, for trans people in Latin America and beyond, it never comes.
A wake-up call for the world
For every Sara, there are countless others whose names we don’t know—trans lives stolen in silence. This murder is not just Colombia’s shame. It’s a global failure. The LGBTQ community, especially trans women, are being hunted. And the world shrugs.
Let’s be clear: transphobia isn’t just prejudice—it’s deadly. The queer community deserves to live, thrive, and be protected. Sara’s murder should’ve been a wake-up call. The question now is—will anyone wake up?
Until then, we say her name. And we keep fighting.
Sara Millerey González.