Warsaw Homosexual Movement
Warszawski Ruch Homoseksualny
AbbreviationWRH
SuccessorLambda Groups Association
Formation1987
FounderWaldemar Zboralski, Sławomir Starosta, Krzysztof Garwatowski
Founded atWarsaw
Dissolved1988
TypeNon-governmental
Legal statuscommunist Poland refused to register the organization
Purposehomosexual rights activism
Location
  • Warsaw, Poland

Warszawski Ruch Homoseksualny (WRH) – independent group of gays and lesbians whom the goverment of Polish People's Republic refused registration as NGO[1][2][3], existing in Warsaw between January 1987 and summer of 1988.

Its funders were: Waldemar Zboralski, a male nurse from Railways Hospital (pol. Szpital Kolejowy); Sławomir Starosta, a student of the Warsaw University and Krzysztof Garwatowski, a student at the Warsaw University of Technology. They were supported by a group of students and workers of a few universities in Warsaw and young journalists from the capital.

During a meeting on 24 January 1987, in a private flat on Gabriel Narutowicz Square in Warsaw, there was made a decision to create an official organization of gays and lesbians, and 20 Marc 1988 w Milanówek in the Warsaw region, there was an establishment meeting of WHR, which included deciding on its name, legal basic and choosing its leadership (which was necessary in order to register the organization). As the leader of the group was chosen Waldemar Zboralski, and as the logo of the group was chosen a modified coat of arms of Warsaw - a male merman with a shield with written "WRH". Warsaw Homosexual Movement was 2 times mentioned in reports of Radio Free Europe about independent organizations working in Polish People's Republic, made by its political analyst specializing in Central Europe, Jiří Pehe in years 1988 and 1989.

Support

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Untill the moment of applying the documents for registration, WRH made a broad informational campaign in the whole of Poland, including the well-known journalists of tha times, such as „Polityka[4], „Przegląd Tygodniowy[5], „Wprost[1], „Na Przełaj”. „Radar[6], „Express Wieczorny”. „Pana”[7], „Sztandar Młodych”. „Kurier Polski[8]. In years 1987-1988 it was possible to present aims and WRH program in a few radio auditions and a cycle of TV appearances ("Rozmowy Intymne" (pol. "Intimate Talks") with Halszka Wasilewska)[1][9].

The activities of WRH got it interest of the Ministry of Health, which supported WRH. It happened because of declarations of the member of WRH, that they will be an active part of health profilactics of AIDS.

The movement also got a support of a psychologist, prof. Mikałaj Kozakiewicz, at the time a chief of Towarzystwo Rozwoju Rodziny (pol. Society of Family Development) and a bunch of his friends-intellectualists, whom tried to convince at the time communist ruling class of Polish People's Republic that the organization is beneficial. The support took the form of a list to conteporary Minister of Foreign Affairs gen. Czesław Kiszczak. The letter was dated at 5th March 1988[10]. It was signed by Tadeusz Kielanowski, Bolesław Popielski, Kazimierz Imieliński, Zbigniew Sternadel, prof. Bogdan Suchodolski, Stanisław Ehrlich, prof. Jan Szczepański, Artur Sandauer, Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Szymon Kobyliński, Daniel Passent[10][9][11].

The group got from the goverment of Warsaw discrict Mokatów premises by the Piaseczyńska Street for an office, in which there were regular meetings and which was an official headquarters of WRH[12][11].

Cooperation with other LGBT organizations

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WHM was supported from the very beginnings by international gay and lesbian movement and a part of ILGA. The direct support was provided by Austria's ILGA member, HOSI-Wien, of whom Andrzej Selerowicz began contacts already in 1985. HOSI-Wien paid WHM's fees for ILGA and the group became a member in April 1988.[9][13][14] IN its activities, Warsaw Homosexual Movement closely cooperated with other groups of gays and lesbians in Poland - with Group ETAP from Wrocław and Filo (newspaper)?Filo from Gdańsk.[14]

IN may 1987 members of WRH took part in international conferences of ILGA organized in Koln[9][13][14] and London.[9][13][14] Warsaw Homosexual Movement became an official part of ILGA in 1087,[15], before the failed legalization of the organization in Poland. On 16 April 1988 there was organized an international conference of ILGA with participants from West Germany, East Germany, Hungary, Denmark, USA, Kanada, Austria.[9][13] It was the most important event since the movement began.

Attempt at registration

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After gathering 15 people, determined to provide their personal data in the registration form of an organization (some of them were the victims of Operation Hyacinth in 1985-1987), on 24 April 1988 in the Capital City of Warsaw the establishing forms were put down, including the organization's statute.{r|rosaflieder|homowarszawa}} Because of political decision of the at-the-time minister of internal affairs, general Czesław Kiszczak, the registration of Warsaw Homosexual Movement was denied. The decision was supported by fears about the organization's breaking "rules of public morality", and by fears of reaction of the Catholic Church.[2][3][14]

End of operations

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Some people involved in creation of WRH together with members of informal groups of gays and lesbians working in other cities of Poland, took in 1989 another attempt of registering a common organization. The attempt was successful and on 23 February 1990 Lambda Groups Association was established as a nation-wide organization of gays and lesbians.[14]

Publications about WRH

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  • 2009 HomoWarszawa, Przewodnik kulturalno-historyczny, joint publication, Wydawnictwo Abiekt.pl, Warszawa, p. 156-159, ISBN 978-83-926968-1-0
  • 2012 Gejerel. Mniejszości seksualne w PRL-u, Krzysztof Tomasik, Wydawnictwo Krytyki Politycznej, Warszawa, ISBN 978-83-62467-54-9
  • 2012 Kłopoty z seksem w PRL (chapter by Agata Fiedotow: Początki ruchu gejowskiego w Polsce 1981–1990), joint publication edited by Marcin Kula, Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego i Instytut Pamięci Narodowej, Warszawa, ISBN 978-83-235-0964-6

See also

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Przypisy

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  1. ^ a b c Piotr Gabryel (1988). "Na razie plecami do kamery". Wprost (Nr 25). Retrieved 2013-12-18. {{cite journal}}: |number= has extra text (help)
  2. ^ a b "Wiadomości z kraju: odmowa rejestracji WRH". Polityka. 44/1988. 1988.10.29. Retrieved 2019-03-07. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Relacja z konferencji prasowej Jerzego Urbana z dnia 9 listopada 1988". Rzeczpospolita: 6. 1988.11.10. Retrieved 2019-03-07. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Barbara Pietkiewicz (1988-01-20). "Co dziesiąty". Polityka (Nr 5). Retrieved 2013-12-18. {{cite journal}}: |number= has extra text (help)
  5. ^ Katarzyna Nazarewicz (1987). "Sekcja specjalna". Przegląd tygodniowy (Nr 45). Retrieved 2013-12-18. {{cite journal}}: |number= has extra text (help)
  6. ^ Danuta Kantor-Jankowska (1987). "Kara za grzech sodomski?". Radar (Nr 26). Retrieved 2013-12-18. {{cite journal}}: |number= has extra text (help)
  7. ^ Andrzej Kołodziejski (1987). "Różowy trójkąt". Pan (Nr 2). Retrieved 2013-12-18. {{cite journal}}: |number= has extra text (help)
  8. ^ Andrzej Kołodziejski (1986). "O AIDS, ale nie tylko..." Kurier Polski (Nr 206). Retrieved 2013-12-18. {{cite journal}}: |number= has extra text (help); line feed character in |journal= at position 29 (help)
  9. ^ a b c d e f Franz Werner (1988). "Pedal in Polen". Rosa Flieder (in German) (czerwiec). Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  10. ^ a b "Treść listu prof. Kozakiewicza do gen. Kiszczaka" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  11. ^ a b Yga Kostrzewa, Michał Minałto, Marcin Pietras, Wojciech Szot, Marcin Teodorczyk, Krzysztof Tomasik, Krzysztof Zabłocki, Marcin Pietras (2010). "Warszawski Ruch Homoseksualny". HomoWarszawa, Przewodnik kulturalno-historyczny. Warszawa: Stowarzyszenie Lambda Warszawa. p. 158. ISBN 978-83-926968-1-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Yga Kostrzewa, Michał Minałto, Marcin Pietras, Wojciech Szot, Marcin Teodorczyk, Krzysztof Tomasik, Krzysztof Zabłocki, Marcin Pietras (2010). "Warsaw Gay Movement (Warszawski Ruch Homoseksualny)". QueerWarsaw. Historical and cultural guide to Warsaw. Warszawa: Stowarzyszenie Lambda Warszawa. p. 201-204. ISBN 83-926968-1-6. Retrieved 2013-12-18.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ a b c d Waldemar Zboralski (February 1991). "Wspomnienia weterana". Inaczej (Nr 9). Retrieved 2013-12-18. {{cite journal}}: |number= has extra text (help)
  14. ^ a b c d e f Andrzej Selerowicz (1993). Leksykon kochających inaczej. Poznań: Wydawnictwo SOFTPRESS. p. 19-28. ISBN 83-900208-6-6. Retrieved 2013-12-18.
  15. ^ Bronisław Tumiłowicz (1987). "Inny homo". Tygodnik Argumenty (nr 42). Retrieved 2013-12-18. {{cite journal}}: |number= has extra text (help)

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Linki zewnętrzne

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Category:LGBTQ rights in Poland Category:LGBTQ history in Poland Category:LGBTQ organisations based in Poland Category:1987 establishments in Poland Category:Organizations established in 1987 Category:Mermen