A Self-Defense Study Guide for Trans Women
I will occasionally shame people for reading a comic for free online, but the link for this one goes to a site that encourages people to read it online or even print out their own pdf of it so, if you have the means, go nuts with this. Print out copies and leave them around your town where you think they’ll do the most good, hand them out to your dumber friends, etc. But then maybe make a donation to one of several groups that support trans rights, because hey why not? This isn’t going to be anything like a traditional review (as if I even do those), because there’s really only one question with a zine like this: is the information in it helpful? And the answer to that is a simple absolutely, it sure as hell is. Reading this as a cis guy (but an ally for my entire adult life, for whatever that’s worth) the most depressing takeaway that I had? And there were many, but the worst one was the repeated emphasis that if you get in trouble as a trans person, even if you’re in a crowd, even when you’re with an ally, more often than not nobody will back you up. Even when you’re with a friend! Gah, that just blew my mind. I’ve stood up for friends in near bar fights when they were clearly the stupid one, I had no idea that assistance when this happened was so rare. Anyway, this is crammed full of helpful information, including how to handle people you absolutely can’t respond verbally to (cops, employers, customers), how to deescalate with people you can’t just punch (gropers, kids) potentially violent situations, how it’s always best to go out in a group when possible, and finally deescalating with a romantic partner when they’re not taking “no” for an answer. Training, it turns out, is key, both for physical situations and bullying situations. Not to necessarily win a fight, but enough to make an impression on the attacker and keep them from coming for you again. There are all kinds of scenarios in here with plenty of useful tips, it’s just about never been easier to read a comic right after reading my review, so I strongly encourage everybody to do so now. Trust me, no matter how much of an ally that you think you are, there will be something in here you’d never considered. And if you’re at risk and feeling hopeless, this is at least an excellent place to start. $5 (or free at the link)
Posted by Kevin 
