Christine Quinn: NYC to Offer Free Self-Defense Classes

Speaking during this weekend's Queens Pride, New York City council speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn told attendees that free self-defense classes will be available for anyone anxious about the spike in antigay crimes.

Quinn, talking to WCBS, said LGBT New Yorkers can avail themselves of free self-defense courses starting next weekend. This comes after at least 24 attacks against gays that include bashings, assaults, and even the brazen murder of a gay man on a Manhattan street.

"This is the kind of violence and frequency and in severity we haven't seen in a really long time," Quinn said at the Jackson Heights parade. "It isn't safe to be gay everywhere in New York City."

The Center for Anti-Violence Prevention hosts the first class, which are aimed more at street-smarts than actual physical training, on June 8 at 4 p.m. at New York's LGBT Center. Another class is cheduled for June 12 at 7 p.m.at the Hudson Guild Elliot Center. Call (212) 788-5613 or email events@council.nyc.gov for more information.