Declaration of Marching Cities for equality of LGBTQ+ people

We are LGBTQIA+ persons and allies who organise marches for equal rights of all people regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity in our local communities. We share a strong belief that building a united voice across divisions, particularly one including the situation of LGBTQIA+ persons outside of major urban centres, will be a real step toward achieving equality in Poland.

We believe that the groups, communities, and societies we live in rely on people’s diversity: the diversity of individuals' skills, experiences, and identities. Through the power of diversity, we can achieve our aspirations as individuals and successfully deal with challenges that none of us would be able to tackle alone.

Similarly, the LGBTQIA+ rights movement reflects not only the calls for the freedom of individuals to live in accordance with their identities, to be able to safely satisfy their needs related to sexual and family life, or to not pursue them, in harmony with who they are and without facing social stigma. We want to prevent our society from wasting opportunities by failing to benefit from the activities of individuals, simply because they do not conform to imposed models of functioning. We believe that our society would be much richer if we still had with us those who have not endured inhumane treatment by haters and indifference from those whose role should be to stand up for them.

We believe that our allies in the fight for an open and accepting society are those movements that fight on behalf of people who, like LGBTQIA+ people, are at risk of exclusion. Initiatives that fight discrimination on the basis of gender, colour, ethnicity, medical condition, or socioeconomic status do not conflict with our work but complement it. The different perspectives allow us to write a fuller story about the society we live in: its history, current needs, and aspirations.

Non-heteronormative and non-cisnormative people are part of the diversity inherent in human nature – they always have been and always will be, and their identity does not determine their functioning, character, abilities, tastes, or needs. The respect for diversity that we demand is reflected in our respect for differences in the methods and guiding messages of individual activists and the groups and marches that they form.

We believe that regardless of personal goals and desires regarding family and sexual life (or lack thereof), all LGBTQIA+ people can benefit from the advocated changes in social attitudes and laws, which, as the experience of other societies shows, are inextricably linked.

In our view, a break with discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation benefits not only LGBTQIA+ people but also hetero- and cisnormative people who experience exclusion because of their association with LGBTQIA+ people (e.g., through family or social ties) or because of being perceived as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

People who experience discrimination on more than one ground are particularly vulnerable. Therefore, we call on all people, according to their abilities, to stand in solidarity with those who face greater hardship, and to actively contribute to the movement aimed at eradicating discrimination in every corner of our country.

We believe that every person and every group, regardless of social and political beliefs, is an important part of the movement as long as they respect human diversity, do not use or promote violent behaviour, and are diligent in their handling of funds raised through social goodwill. Any group that meets these three conditions and organizes marches for LGBTQIA+ rights in their community is invited to be part of our shared coalition.

Our goal is to build understanding among diverse groups and empower them to create a welcoming atmosphere that will foster the next generations of activists and build on the accomplishments of previous ones.