St. Pete church hosts LGBTQ+ self-defense classes amidst hate-based violence

Share
Rev. Andy Oliver of Allendale United Methodist Church, supports LGBTQ rights
Rev. Andy Oliver of Allendale United Methodist Church. By Seán Kinane / WMNF News (March 2019).

An LGBTQ grassroots collective is hosting self-defense classes at a St. Petersburg church amidst rising violence and hostility to the community.

Allendale United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg prides itself on being inclusive and supportive to all. The church has married same-sex couples and openly advocated for social justice.

Now, they’ve partnered with LGBTQ+ Organization Found Family to host a self-defense class for their community. Reverend Andy Oliver says the need has never been stronger.

“It seems like every single day there is a new bill that comes out that is attacking marginalized communities, specifically the LGBTQ community, and transgender children. And that emboldens bullies to do harm,” Oliver tells WMNF.

According to the Florida Attorney General, hate crimes based on sexual orientation currently account for 22 percent of all hate crimes.

“To be a peacemaker, to be someone who is nonviolent, means to be trained in the ways of self-defense. If we look back at the civil rights movement, those people who were bold witnesses didn’t just step out in front of police officers with bullet clubs, they were trained in the art of resisting violence.”

The event is on March 18th at 11 am. You can find more info on the Found Family Collective Facebook page.

 

 

Leave a Reply

  • (will not be published)

XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

You may also like

school classroom
Extreme heat threatens students in Florida and beyond, report shows

Listen: New research shows how many public schools across the...

“Alligator Alcatraz” & the Florida Government’s Budget Cuts Act Against Tampa Bay Communities

Guest host Gary Gibbons discusses how Florida was able to...

The Scoop: Thur. July 17, 2025, Tampa Bay and Florida headlines by WMNF

WMNF headlines include foreign aid and public broadcasting, pavement art...

environment
New bill to designate Myakka River as National Wild and Scenic River in US Senate

Listen: A portion of the Myakka River may become the...

Ways to listen

WMNF is listener-supported. That means we don't advertise like a commercial station, and we're not part of a university.

Ways to support

WMNF volunteers have fun providing a variety of needed services to keep your community radio station alive and kickin'.

The Dorm Room
Player position: