05/18/2026
Not the kind of post I would like to have to make, but here we are.
Penumbra is a safe place for most people. We want you to know that we love you, support you, and have your safety and comfort in mind. However, we are NOT a safe place for abusive and dangerous people. If we notice signs of abuse, we are going to ask you if you're okay and if you're in a safe situation. We aren't people who "mind our business" and if we see something, we will say something.
On 5/10/26, I asked a client if they were safe in their situation. Their partner was also a client and I had witnessed interactions that made me concerned. I was told that I was mistaken, I accepted that. Very shortly after this client left their partner proceeded to spam call me and send walls of nasty text messages during my work shift threatening to "beat the s**t out of me for that", making excuses for calling their partner ret****d, threatened me with a gun, and called me and my coworkers and friends transphobic slurs. This is not something we tolerate and they have been banned from the premises. They have continued to harass us at Penumbra because we witnessed their abuse and said something.
If you are being mistreated or abused and you need help, please know that we will do what we can to find you resources. We will be discreet. If my client had said nothing to their partner about my question, they would not have known about the interaction at all. We love you, we support you, we want you to feel safe with us.
- Kris Heartwood
