Building for Equality
Crowdfunder for building of Equality Centre in Poland
Help queer youth in Poland! With hate and discrimination increasing rapidly the queer youth needs a safe space to find support and gain strengh. We are calling for donations to restore the building of a new community centre in the polish city Gorzów Wielkopolski, only 140 kilometers from Berlin.
An emerging group of international feminist and queer activists have come together to raise money for basic building materials to help create the foundations of a very exciting and necessary youth centre in Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland, called “Fundacją Warto być równym nad Wartą” (It is Worth Being Equal Foundation). Equality, ecology and climate are the cornerstones of this foundation. Winter is coming and these amazing queer teenagers are dreaming of a happy Christmas.
The centre is led by feminist, queer, environmental and disability justice activists and aims to provide an “open door” for all marginalised communities affected by the rising bigotry from the ruling ‘Law and Justice’ party (PiS). The organizers of this foundation already successfully organized the first Pride demonstration in Gorzów Wielkopolski
With its focus on environmental protection and ecology, the centre will also be created using principles of zero waste and minimalism.
Funding goals:
- End of November 2020: € 2000
(for the restoration of the building, including floors, windows, new doors, paint for the walls etc.) - End of December 2020: €3000
(another thousand Euros for furniture, decoration and for a good start in the new year) - End of April 2021: €5000
(€ 500/Month between January and April for bills, workshops, and safe housing)
What is going on in Poland?
It is a scary time to be queer in Poland right now. Hate crime against all minorities is massively on the rise. President Kaczynski has said that the LGBTIQ* community should ‘keep its hands off Poland’s children’. In 2017, he was quoted as saying ‘The affirmation of homosexuality will lead to the downfall of civilization. We can’t agree to it.’
Currently, over 100 municipalities in Poland have symbolically declared themselves “LGBT-free zones” by adopting declarations that implicitly or explicitly discriminate against LGBTIQ* people (as well as anyone who is not committed to the so-called “natural family”) and are campaigning against non-discrimination education in schools.
On the 9th of November a bill was suggested to the parliament aiming to forbid the organisation of pride marches and similar events that question marriage as a union between a (cis) man and woman.
At the same time, PiS have also insisted on cracking down on women’s rights, with access to legal abortion and emergency contraception being almost completely prohibited and support for women who have experienced domestic violence being withdrawn.
A great deal of LGBTIQ* people have fled their homes looking for sanctuary.
International solidarity has risen with a clear message: You Are Not Alone.
We are currently concentrating on fundraising, badgering for material donations and arranging for skilled queers to donate their time to, if the pandemic allows it, travel to the centre and do the work.
Please get in touch with us on info@enough-is-enough.eu and please share this crowdfunder through all your networks.
Yours in love and solidarity,
Berlin Queer Soli-Crew & ENOUGH is ENOUGH!