Kampania Przeciw Homofobii w Toruniu

Campaign Against Homophobia in Torun


About us:

Campaign Against Homophobia is a non-governmental organization founded in 2001 in Warsaw. Our local branch in the city of Torun emerged in February 2006 when Agnieszka Szpak, who has later become its head, organised several local gay rights and civil society activists to meet together.

We aim to convince the local community, that people with non-standard gender identities (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or other) are part of the diverse society. That every person, regardless of their psychosexual orientation, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, religious denomination or lack thereof, needs to be treated equally. We intend to promote social inclusiveness and civil society.

Our aims within the LGBT community are concentrated around several aspects. Firstly, we seek to integrate the local community. Secondly, we would like to increase their awareness of the rights they have (we also offer legal counselling). Thirdly we aim to provide help, whenever a person is discriminated against: in workplace, in school, in public administration, as a consumer etc. And lastly, we would like to activate the community's potential and encourage them to demand more inclusive and tolerant society, and more accurate representation in governments.

Our plan for the future is to establish relations with LGBT communities in the twin towns of Torun: Leiden (The Netherlands), Göttingen (Germany), Philadelphia (USA), Hämeenlinna (Finland), Kaliningrad (Baltic enclave of the Russian Federation), Čadca (Slovakia), Swindon (The UK), and Novo Mesto (Slovenia).

So far we have accomplished very friendly relations with Dutch organisation COC in Leiden. We are very thankful for their strong support and care, and for the time they sacrifice to discuss with us the forms of actions; for their patience and understanding. This is very important for us.

For information regarding recent developments in Poland, that are connected with discrimination on basis of gender identity, please visit www.ilga-europe.org

For contact information please scroll to the bottom of this page.


About the city of Torun:

Torun, founded in 1233, takes pride in its medieval architecture and highly prestigious university. The capital of Kuyavia-Pomerania region (sharing this title with a nearby city of Bydgoszcz), is an important commercial and cultural centre, with three theatres, various dance groups and sport clubs, media outlets and art galleries. The city is famous for having preserved many Gothic buildings, all build from brick, including monumental churches, the Town Hall and many burgher houses. Nicolaus Copernicus (a scholar who provided the first modern formulation of a heliocentric theory of the solar system), who was born here in 1473, and traditional herbal-flavoured gingerbread cookies are the symbols of Torun. Both with the historic sights they attract ca. 1.5 million tourists a year. Torun (itself having the population of 200,000) together with Bydgoszcz, located just 45km away, form a metropolitan organism of 577,500 inhabitants.
Toruń: Wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torun

Recent developments:

Come back soon for the latest news from KPH Torun.

Contact us:

With any questions you might have please contact Pawel, KPH Torun international relations coordinator - kphtorun.international@gmail.com or Szymon, the head of KPH Torun - torun@kampania.org.pl

If you would like to support us financially:

1. You can do it online by credit card. Go to our national website www.kampania.org.pl. There is a form on the bottom left hand corner of the homepage. Choose the amount in polish zlotys, and press 'Wplacam'. You will be transferred to an independent payment service, which is also available in English (and other languages).

2. If you pay your taxes in Poland, you have the possibility to donate 1% of your personal income tax to a registered charity. KPH is one of them. For instructions how to do this please refer to this website (in Polish) www.1procent.kampania.org.pl or contact us kph_torun_lex@wp.pl (in Torun) or prawnik@kampania.org.pl (national legal advisory group). 3. Or with your general inquiries you can contact us: in Torun: torun@kampania.org.pl; the national office info@kampania.org.pl.