Students gained essential skills in navigating sexuality and gender-based violence during the Pride Center’s safety, self-defense and de-escalation workshop hosted last week.
Open to all Lehigh students, staff and faculty, the workshop offered participants the opportunity to practice safety techniques while also gaining knowledge about their rights and local resources.
Led on March 24 by Robin Gow, the founding organizer of Queer and Trans Lehigh Valley, along with certified self-defense educators from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network — a nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization — the workshop also provided tips on safety planning for addressing domestic and intimate partner violence more effectively.
Scott Burden, director of the Pride Center, said it was important for the event to be inclusive of all genders, as other self-defense classes offered by the Lehigh University Police Department and various offices aren’t queer-centered, often overlooking the link between sexuality and violence.
They said this workshop also emphasized resolving gender-based conflict without resorting to violence.
“What was distinct about Gow Robin’s workshop as we were planning it was that our focus was on how communities can keep one another safe,” Burden said.
Gow, who has trained more than 3,000 individuals across Pennsylvania on LGBTQ+ inclusion and disability justice, said people who identify as queer or transgender experience higher rates of violence.
According to a report by the Office of Survivor Support and Intimacy Education, 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women experience sexual assault, stalking or intimate partner violence, compared to 35% of heterosexual women. These differences contribute to a reluctance to report incidents of sexual misconduct and harassment on college campuses, the report states.
Gow said few classes are trans-specific, making it crucial to provide the transgender community with the self-defense tools they need.
“I think learning self defense in a queer-specific space is very empowering, because a lot of times, we are not taught how to navigate situations or stand up for ourselves,” he said.
Participants also learned how to respond to unwanted comments about gender and sexuality without escalating a situation or resorting to violence. In cases of violence, Gow provided strategies for avoiding the fight-or-flight response.
During the class, Gow introduced a new response method called “fawn,” which involves de-escalating a situation by complimenting or finding something positive to say to the perpetrator.
Amber Brose, a graduate assistant of the Pride Center, attended the class. She said she plans to apply the de-escalation techniques she learned, including the fawn method, while exploring alternative ways to address conflicts without aggression.
Brose also said the center aims to acknowledge the experiences of queer and trans students at Lehigh, especially in light of rising hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals.
“With everything going on right now in our political climate, we’re seeing instances of hate crimes on the rise,” Brose said. “Acknowledging that and having something for those students who are at an increased risk of victimization is really important.”
During the workshop, Gow advised students to carefully plan events involving alcohol and crowded spaces and to stay with friends if they’re using substances.
According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, sexual assault cases statistically increase during the “red zone,” a period of heightened alcohol consumption and partying in the fall semester.
The workshop concluded with a self-defense demonstration, through which students learned how to navigate various scenarios in which an attacker may approach. They practiced using their body weight and height to their advantage.
Niasha Gwin, ‘27, attended the workshop and said she feels more confident in navigating a situation compared to before the event.
“Even if someone is stronger than me, I would feel more comfortable, because I know certain tactics that do not require me to be a stronger person,” Gwin said.
Gow said while the event was LGBTQ+ specific, the session was open to allies and anyone seeking education on safety tips.
“I think the main tool is to know you’re not alone,” Gow said. “We can have a lot of safety together and build safe networks with each other.”
Burden encouraged those experiencing gender-based or sexuality-based violence to contact the Office of Survivor Support and Intimacy Education, which offers 24/7 on-call service.
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