While Mad Green has been involved in martial arts since childhood, they were tired of looking around and feeling like they were the only queer person who could physically defend themselves.
“I am sick of being the only person I know who knows how to fight, and I really want the rest of the queer people in my life to be able to fight,” said Green, who uses they/them pronouns.
Green started Queer Fight Club in 2023 as part of an art project to see if they could teach people with no prior experience how to fight in a short period of time. Though it’s called a fight club, the group focuses more on self-defense.
LGBTQ+ people are nine times more likely to experience a violent hate crime than non-LGBTQ+ people, according to the UCLA Williams Institute.
Though violence against queer people can happen anywhere, Green said it’s not a coincidence that there is a demand for learning these skills in Missouri.
“It's unsafe to be queer in Missouri, and like St. Louis is like this blue little dot on the map. But I've like gotten more homophobic and transphobic remarks here than I did like in the middle of the corn in Indiana.”
In 2024, the Missouri legislature introduced 40 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Out of all 50 states, only Oklahoma introduced more anti-LGBTQ+ bills than Missouri in 2024.
“I was privileged to grow up with access to education about queer issues,” said Queer Fight Club member Tad Schultians. “That being said, I do, of course, still live in Missouri, and so I am seeing rights actively being taken away from trans people.”
Green said their classes are about more than learning the technique behind throwing a punch. They are also “arming people with the confidence to be able to defend themselves.”
The club provides a place for members to find community with other queer people.
“It's really difficult as a trans person to find spaces to be active in your body and also feel safe while you are being active in your body,“ new member Cecilia Tornetto said. “It's definitely been empowering to come to a space with all queer people.
That desire to be among other queer people is the driving force for many new members, said Green.
“By queering it and making it a safe and a community, we are bringing out like the best of boxing and the best of kickboxing,” Green said. “We're gonna be really loud and really queer and really angry."
For more information on upcoming Queer Fight Club meetings, email Mad Green at madgreen98@gmail.com.
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