Campaign Against Homophobia
Encyclopedia
Campaign Against Homophobia (original name: Kampania Przeciw Homofobii, abbreviation: KPH) is a Polish
LGBT
organisation, which aims to promote legal and social equality for people outside the heteronorm
. It was founded in Warsaw in September 2001 and since it has grown to the biggest NGO of this kind in Poland. It has local branches in Kraków
, Wrocław, Łódź, Tricity
, Toruń
and Silesia
region. KPH and Lambda Warszawa Association, which very often cooperate (for example within specially formed foundations that organise events like Warsaw Pride and Culture for Tolerance Festival in Kraków
) are together are the largest organisations of this kind in Poland.
President (from 11 September 2001 to 22 February 2009) and founder: Robert Biedroń
.
Current president: Marta Abramowicz
KPH aims to contribute to establishing a tolerant society, in which gay, lesbian, transgender and other minorities feel comfortable in. It undertakes activities in numerous fields:
etc.
KPH cooperates with other LGBT organisations associated at ILGA
. Currently two members of KPH are appointed to the ILGA-Europe
executive board in Brussels
: Lisette Campus http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/about_us/executive_board/kampus_lisette, and Tomasz Szypuła http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/about_us/executive_board/szypula_tomasz.
The exhibition was first shown in October 2009 for three weeks at the prestagious University Library in Warsaw where 500 brochures and 200 copies of the Yogyakarta Principles
(translated into Polish) were distributed. It was also shown in Liblin
, Wroclaw
and Gdansk
according to the Yogyakarta Principles in Action
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
organisation, which aims to promote legal and social equality for people outside the heteronorm
Heteronormativity
Heteronormativity is a term invented in 1991 to describe any of a set of lifestyle norms that hold that people fall into distinct and complementary genders with natural roles in life. It also holds that heterosexuality is the normal sexual orientation, and states that sexual and marital relations...
. It was founded in Warsaw in September 2001 and since it has grown to the biggest NGO of this kind in Poland. It has local branches in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Wrocław, Łódź, Tricity
Tricity
Tricity is an urban area consisting of three Polish cities: Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. They are situated adjacent to one other, in a row, on the coast of the Gdańsk Bay, Baltic Sea, in Pomerelia , northern Poland...
, Toruń
Torun
Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....
and Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
region. KPH and Lambda Warszawa Association, which very often cooperate (for example within specially formed foundations that organise events like Warsaw Pride and Culture for Tolerance Festival in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
) are together are the largest organisations of this kind in Poland.
President (from 11 September 2001 to 22 February 2009) and founder: Robert Biedroń
Robert Biedron
Robert Biedroń is a Polish LGBT activist and politician. He was previously a member of Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland party and the Democratic Left Alliance. Currently, he is a member of Palikot's Movement...
.
Current president: Marta Abramowicz
KPH aims to contribute to establishing a tolerant society, in which gay, lesbian, transgender and other minorities feel comfortable in. It undertakes activities in numerous fields:
- conferences,
- exhibitions,
- demonstrations,
- intergation parties,
- workshops,
- meetings with politicians, academics,
- political lobbying
- providing legal and psychological counselling, inter alia at the internet portal www.mojeprawa.info
- publishing LGBT-rights quarterly Replika,
- publishing leaflets on various subjects,
- international human rights lawInternational human rights lawInternational human rights law refers to the body of international law designed to promote and protect human rights at the international, regional and domestic levels...
and practice monitoring, - cooperation with similar organisations from other countries and international bodies
etc.
KPH cooperates with other LGBT organisations associated at ILGA
International Lesbian and Gay Association
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association is an international organization bringing together more than 750 LGBTI groups from around the world. It continues to be active in campaigning for LGBT rights on the international human rights and civil rights scene and...
. Currently two members of KPH are appointed to the ILGA-Europe
ILGA-Europe
ILGA-Europe is the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.ILGA-Europe is a non-governmental umbrella organisation which represents its members, principally organisations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, at the European level.Its...
executive board in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
: Lisette Campus http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/about_us/executive_board/kampus_lisette, and Tomasz Szypuła http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/about_us/executive_board/szypula_tomasz.
The exhibition was first shown in October 2009 for three weeks at the prestagious University Library in Warsaw where 500 brochures and 200 copies of the Yogyakarta Principles
Yogyakarta Principles
The Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Human Rights Law in relation to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity is a set of principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, intended to apply international human rights law standards to address the abuse of the...
(translated into Polish) were distributed. It was also shown in Liblin
Liblín
Liblín is a village and municipality in Rokycany District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 322 ....
, Wroclaw
Wroclaw
Wrocław , situated on the River Oder , is the main city of southwestern Poland.Wrocław was the historical capital of Silesia and is today the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Over the centuries, the city has been part of either Poland, Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, or Germany, but since 1945...
and Gdansk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
according to the Yogyakarta Principles in Action
Yogyakarta Principles in Action
Yogyakarta Principles in Action is a movement for activists and human rights defenders to promote human rights, especially those of LGBTI around the Yogyakarta Principles, supported by ARC International, Hivos and Dreilinden Gesellschaft für gemeinnütziges Privatkapitel, Germany.They published the...
.
Milestones
Some of the activities undertaken by KPH have attracted massive publicity, and influenced the Polish public. These include:- Niech nas zobaczą (Let Them See Us) - Photographs portraying gay and lesbian couples standing in the streets and holding hands were to be put by KPH on billboards in major Polish cities in 2003. However, before even occurring in the streets, this has caused enormous public outcry, and a debate on homosexuality on unprecedented scale in Poland. Arguments, that these photos would 'promote deviations' caused outdoor advertisement companies to withdraw from contracts on displaying them. As result the photos were displayed in art galleries. This however, was the point when according to some, discrimination became apparent and obvious (and publicised about) in Poland for the first time. http://niechnaszobacza.queers.pl/index_en.htm(English):pl:Niech nas zobacz%C4%85(Polish)
- Jestem gejem, jestem lesbijką. Poznaj nas. (I'm gay, I'm a lesbian. Get to know us.) - was a tour around Polish universities: with educational meetings for students, teachers, and LGBT-people's parents - and for many, a first opportunity to talk with openly gay people.http://www.homoseksualizm.pl/(Polish)
- Festiwal Kultura dla Tolerancji w Krakowie (Culture for Tolerance in Cracow Festival) - This annual KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
-based Festival founded by KPH members and organised by Culture for Tolerance Foundation (Fundacja Kultura dla Tolerancji), features conferences, workshops, movie screenings, and parties. Its symbol is a controversial and high-concept art piece by US and EU best authors accompanied by numerous activities http://tolerancja.org.pl/english/
Criticism
Most criticism comes from the Polish right-wing politicians, who do not support the aims of KPH, or gay rights in general. Other critics point to several links between KPH and post-communist or socialist political parties, and claim that KPH is a means of gaining recognition and popularity by KPH's higher-ups. Some people criticize its participation in organizing public gay rights marches - which usually inflict violent counter demonstrations, and suggest concentrating on other activities.See also
- LGBT rights in Poland
- List of LGBT rights organizations
- HeterosexismHeterosexismHeterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It can include the presumption that everyone is heterosexual or that opposite-sex attractions and relationships are the only norm and therefore superior...
- Civil unions in PolandCivil unions in PolandIn 2004, under the previous left-wing government the Senate approved a bill allowing gay and lesbian people to register their relationships as civil unions. Parties to a civil union under the bill would have been given a great range of benefits, protections and responsibilities In 2004, under the...