Two weeks ago, we held the first event in our series of Protect Yourself clinics, led by and for trans folks, in Greenville, SC. Our LGBTQ Rights Toolkit Coordinator Ivy Gibson-Hill wrote about the event.
Forty seven percent of trans people have been assaulted in the last year (USTS, 2015). Knowing this, we have to ask ourselves what we can do to protect our people. That’s exactly why 25 trans and gender diverse folks gathered at Greenville Martial Art Center on Sunday, March 26th, kicking off this series of “Protect Yourself” clinics. The clinic featured a basic self-defense course taught by and for trans and gender diverse people. Roth Doyle, an organizer with QORDS, taught basic strikes, grabs, and holds that could be used in the event of a physical threat or attack.
The clinic also featured training in how to install and use the bSafe personal safety app for iOS and Android, training in how to use pepper spray (even practicing with inert units on-site), and safety planning with steps that can be taken if a threat to your safety occurs. Our safety planning segment of the clinic covered a wide array of issues, ranging from if you have been physically assaulted, dealing with suicidal ideations, what to do if you are sexually assaulted, and what you can do if ICE is at your door.
We also know that 1 in 8 people who have HIV don’t know they have the virus. We believe that access to comprehensive sexual healthcare and regular HIV testing is an essential piece in achieving health and wellbeing for our people. Free and confidential HIV testing was offered on-site. Thanks to our friends at Piedmont Care, we were able to administer 11 tests to folks in a safe and affirming environment.
There are deep-seated, systemic issues at the root of the grave disparities that trans folks face everyday. As we continue to work towards a reality that’s not peppered with violence, discrimination, and oppression of trans people, we will also work to keep our people safe in the here-and-now by arming our siblings across the South with tools to protect themselves like self-defense training, pepper spray, flashlights, personal safety apps, and safety plans.
We’re currently working on organizing these clinics in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. To support our work, consider making a donation to our GoFundMe page. From putting gas in the tank to space rental to buying pepper spray, every dollar we raise will go directly to supporting the safety of trans and gender diverse people across the South.
