The LGBT+ community certainly has made a lot of progress over the last decade toward full acceptance and equality, but the community and especially transgender people still are at an increased risk of anti-gay violence occurring. From larger incidents such as the June 2016 shootings at Pulse nightclub to smaller incidents involving individuals. It happens all over the world, and even in places that are seen as more accepting of LGBT+ culture.
The Pulse Nightclub shootings certainly rattled many people and barely 1 year from the landmark Supreme Court ruling for same sex marriage, we are reminded that while things are better, there are still many people out there who hate the LGBT+ community.
Given the current political climate, particularly in the United States there is much xenophobia and hateful rhetoric being thrown around by individuals and collective groups from all sides. It is important to realize that while in many parts of the world where LGBT+ culture is more accepted, we still aren’t completely safe from anti-LGBT violence. So what can you do to protect yourself?
Flee
The best thing you can do is to try and avoid the situation altogether. Removing yourself from the equation no doubt is the safest option; you avoid any confrontation and reduce your risk of violence.
Wherever you go, be it a nightclub, restaurant, movie theatre or even a walk around the neighborhood take a mental note of escape routes. Where can you go? Where does it lead? What are the potential obstacles that you need to overcome?
Once you get a safe distance away, call 911.
Hide
Sometimes fleeing isn’t necessarily the safest option, thus if you can disappear until it is safe to flee you can avoid a confrontation.
Where can you hide? Is an escape route accessible from the place? What potential weapons are within reach? What kind of obstacles do you need to overcome?
Is it safe to call or text 911? If so then do it, however if your phone has the potential to alert the attacker to your hiding place, don’t risk it.
Fight
A last resort if you are forced into a confrontation is to disable your attacker so you can escape.
Make a lot of noise so you can draw attention and be seen by others.
Many every day objects can be used as a potential weapon. If you are forced to defend yourself, do not hesitate to do what is necessary.
If you are forced to defend yourself, you have to be willing to do what is necessary to stay alive. No doubt it is a scary situation and you will likely be driven on pure adrenaline. The important thing is to stay calm and keep a cool head. Be confident in yourself and don’t hesitate on your next move. Even a split second could be life and death. Relax and conserve energy, after all panicking isn’t going to save your life.
Find a weapon if possible.
Many every day objects can be used as a weapon. Keys, glass bottle, a stick, a brick, a pen. If nothing is within reach then you have yourself, which is the most important weapon of all.
Head, elbows, knees are the parts of the body most effective as a weapon, when used correctly they can inflict a lot of damage on an assailant. Your body weight, with the proper training can be a very effective tool to disable your opponent, regardless of size.
Attack your assailant’s weakest areas. Primarily the face, nose, eyes, neck, groin or the knees. Your goal is to disable your opponent enough for you to escape. Don’t hold back, attack full force, otherwise your assailant will overcome which would end the fight immediately.
Escape.
Once your opponent is disabled, you may only have a few seconds before they are able recollect themselves and attack again. That is your opportunity to get away so don’t miss it.
Visualize for just a moment of a potential scenario where you are being attacked. Perhaps even put yourself inside of Pulse on the night of June 12th, 2016. It’s scary to think about but slow down the image. Where are you? What are the escape routes and emergency exits? Where can you hide? Can you call 911? What potential weapons are accessible? What would you do if you were face to face with the assailant?
Another scenario might be if your alone, leaving the club after a fun night and are confronted by someone on the street with a knife or other weapon. Can you escape? Does the assailant appear bigger/ stronger than you? Are there other people around who can help?
Visualization is one of the best ways to prepare. Sure we’ve all thought about how we would save our classroom and be the big hero should someone attack. However your not trying to save everybody so much as you are trying to save yourself. With mass shootings taking place on average every week we can no longer trust any place is completely safe. Put yourself in any scenario and think about what you would do, how you will respond and what will you need to do in order to escape. Mental preparation is key to helping you stay cool and calm in such a circumstance.
Take the time and attend a self-defense class. Denver has a free self defense group that meets every Saturday at Cheesman Park called Queer Impact. They offer a wide variety of training to help you prepare for any scenario and is open to beginners.
If you’re not in Denver there are many self-defense classes available in every community. More than a few are even available specifically for the LGBT+ community. Take the time to research in your area and attend a class, you will learn basic moves, practice a variety of scenarios and how to keep your cool in even the most scary situations.
Don’t become a victim, stand up, take control and fight back.If you are interested in learning more and trying some HIIT workouts or are looking for new ideas on how to mix up your routine. Get in touch with David to schedule a one on one fitness consultation. New clients get 2 sessions with David for free and is a great opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, learn something new and help push you toward accomplishing those goals you’ve set out to do. Email david@stonewallfitness.com for more information.
