My background includes certifications in what I call common defense that does not require years of training but does requires that my everyday students (I have professionals in military and police students). Two years ago I went under the knife to transition and after 12 plus years of teaching I put a pause on teaching.

Over the past decade or so I've read about people in the LGBT community murders, bullied and so on. This gave rise to me seeking out in the past few months a place to teach that would be okay with the establishment allowing me to teach.

Friday night I was given permission by the most popular LGBT club to use their large back room normally for a card club (poker I believe is the popular choice). I provided my bio to the owner, told him what I would be teaching and the cost. He was very happy with me putting on this class and said it's been a long time coming.

Note that the cost is nominal, more to get the interested to come as I've done free classes before where my assistants and myself noticed differences in commitment between those who paid and those who did not.

If anyone here is within the Portland/Salem Oregon area feel free to respond to when the dates will be. My first idea is to wait until after most people have finished their vacations and have the class on a Sunday mid-day into the early evening.

Lastly, hopefully others here that are capable of teaching such a class are doing so in their area.

Karen, thank you for doing such a generous act for your community.  A basic knowledge of self-defense is, unfortunately, now a vital skill for folks in the LGBTQ community, particularly for the femme identifying minorities.

The streets can be dangerous, even in 'friendly' communities on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and self defense training can save lives.