Campaign Against Homophobia

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Campaign Against Homophobia press advert. The photograph was originally part of a photo exhibition "What do gays do in bed?" organised in May 2006 by the Torun branch. More from this photoshoot available here

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.

President: Robert Biedron.

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,
publishing LGBT-rights quarterly Replika,
publishing leaflets on various subjects,
human rights law and practice monitoring,
cooperation with similar organisations from other countries and international bodies

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 [1], and Tomasz Szypuła [2].

[edit] Milestones

Some of the activities undertaken by KPH have attracted massive publicity, and influenced the Polish public. These include:

Niech nas zobaczą - 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 homosexualism on unpredescented scale in Poland. Arguments, that these photos would 'promote deviations' caused outdoor advertisement companies to withrawn from contracts on displaying them. As result the photos were displayed in art galleries. This however, was the point when according to some, discrimation became so apparent and obvious (and publicised) in Poland for the first time. [3][4]^(Polish)
Jestem gejem, jestem lesbijką. Poznaj nas. - 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.[5]^(Polish)
Festiwal Kultura dla Tolerancji w Krakowie - This annual Kraków-based Festival co-organised by KPH, features conferences, workshops, movie screenings, and parties. Its symbol is the famous Tolerance March that each year is being bashed by a massive nationalist counterdemonstration.[6]

[edit] Criticism

Most of the criticism comes from the Polish right-wing politicians, who do not support purposes of KPH, nor the gay emancipation. 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 the KPH's top-people. Some people criticise its participation in organising public gay rights marches - which usually inflict violent counterdemosntrations, and suggest concentrating on other activities.