Martial Arts & Self‑Defense
- Queer Fight School – Jiu Jitsu & Muay Thai – A queer/trans-friendly martial arts collective teaching BJJ, Muay Thai, and self-defense. Instagram
- Arm the Girls & We Are the Ones NYC – Mutual aid project distributing pepper gel, stun guns, alarms, and full kits (valued at ~$300) to Black and Brown trans femmes, including NY
- Gay Fight Club – Red Planet MMA (Bushwick) – A “pay-what-you-can” queer Muay Thai and kickboxing clinic led by LGBTQ+ coaches.
- Fearless Queers Self-Defense – Manhattan-based queer/trans-led open martial arts and self-defense sessions for all styles.
- Brooklyn Women’s Martial Arts / Center for Anti-Violence Education – Feminist and queer-friendly self-defense dojo originating in the 1970s, with historical impact.
- Queer Karate – 227 Madison St (doNYC) – Combines karate, aikido, kickboxing, and tai chi in queer-affirming classes. (donyc.com)
- ENOUGH Self‑Defense – The first self-defense program by and for queer individuals, teaching physical, verbal, and emotional defense tools in a community‑focused environment.
- Center for Anti-Violence Education – Empowerment Self‑Defense – 90-minute weekly physical self-defense sessions open to LGBTQ+ folks, Center for Anti-Violence Education (formerly Brooklyn Women’s Martial Arts) – Pioneered self-defense for trans people, women of color, and people living with HIV/AIDS since the 1970s
- Pop Gym – Queer/Trans MMA Workshops – Free mixed martial arts and protest-oriented self-defense workshops rooted in queer/feminist practice.
- NY Hung Ga Dance & Martial Arts – LGBT Self-Defense Classes – East Village studio offering free queer-focused classes in de-escalation and self-defense.
- Gun Safety & De-escalation Workshops Available through community coalitions (e.g., CAE), oriented to queer/trans survivors; inquiries via caeinfo@caeny.org.
- Spray & Slay: Nonbinarian Bookstore Workshop: A free, BIPOC queer/trans-focused event in Brooklyn to decorate and learn to use pepper spray with target practice and safety tips.
- Community Pepper Spray Giveaways (Chinatown Block Watch) – Recent NYC-based distributions offering free pepper spray to vulnerable New Yorkers in Chinatown