Pride Festival in Warzawa/Poland May 1st

topic posted Mon, April 19, 2004 - 3:26 PM by  Toni
Emancypunx & Refuse presents :

NOC WALPURGII 2004!
VALPURGI'S NIGHT FESTIVAL 2004!

POLAND, WARSZAWA, 30th April

We would like to invite all of you on the Fifth Edition of the "Noc
Walpurgii" (Valpurgi's Night) Festival, organized since 1996, regulary
every two years, by the people connected with initiatives like
Emancypunx - anarchofeminist collective/label/distribution and Refuse
- political DIY straightedge/hardcorepunk label/distribution/shows, both
from Warszawa, Poland.

Main issue of the festivals is supporting women activities in
alternative, underground and counterculture movements and communities,
supporting Lesbian/Gay/Queer cultures and also DIY culture and
activities. This festival is one of the form of protest against
sexist, male dominated and patriarchal order, against social and
cultural gender inequalities norms and discrimination against
Lesbian/Gays.

"Noc Walpurgii" was first such a festival taking this issues as a main
idea of the festival in Poland and Eastern Europe. In conservative and
catholic countries like Poland, issues of gender equality, sexism, feminism or
anarcho-feminism, gay/lesbian discrimination etc. were almost non-existant
back then in the public discussions. In alternative/underground scenes it was so
often connected with bigotry, prejudice and hatred.
This festival was supposed to makes people more aware of this issues
and create more space to women activities, feminist and
anarcho-feminist ideas and gay/lesbian/queer participation in radical
movements.
During all this years it became also one of the biggest and one of the
most important DIY event in Poland. It has special atmosphere and
mixed audience - as during the festival we're asking both genders for
participation, so there's also all-male hardcore and punk bands
supporting the ideas of the festival.
Two years ago, there was 800 visitors and great atmosphere during all
night. We asked you about joining the festival and make this event a
great again as during last years!

Here's informations about program on the upcoming festival. We expect
some more participators in a next days.
BANDS:

ACTIVE MINDS (Scarborough, UK)
legendary all-male political and critical hardcore/thrash/punk band,
existed since 1986 and being always one of the basic fundament of the
DIY scene in UK. Still uncompromised and radical with their beliefs
after years, critical towards captalism, patriarchalism, every form of
discrimation, ineqyuality and oppression. Great proof for consequence
in a creative loud music and radical message.

BEYOND PINK (Helsingborg, Sweden)
raging all-female band being quite known already in Europe after their
debut 7" and for sure will get even more attention after upcoming 10"
on Agit Prop Records from US - label dedicated to all-women and
Queer/Gay/Lesbian punk/hardcore and hip-pop bands/artists. Music of
Beyond Pink is angry raw hardcore with some crusty influences with
good dose of more melodic parts.
www.agitproprecords.com

CINDER (Barcelona, Spain)
intense and fast hardcore, in the vein of early Washington DC hardcore
with strong influences of youth crew and thrashy hardcore. Positive
and political, anti-homophobic and pro-choice message, and yet lots of
good homour and completely pro-skating. Cinder guys sharing same
bassist with famous straight-edge band from Barcelona - Afterlife.
www.selloursouls.tk, www.asperurecords.tk, www.youngxguns.tk


VICIOUS IRENE (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Riot Grrrls Style with strong anarcho-feminist message. Heavy
influenced by early 90's Riot Grrrl scene with bands like Bikini Kill,
Team Dresch, Red Aunts or 7 Year Bitch. Band started three years ago
and already played in New Zeland, Uk, or Denmark, supporting bands
like Harum-Scarum etc.
www.viciousirene.com

DE FATWAS (Amsterdam, Holland)
all female band with intense, straightforward and
melodic Punk/Hardcore sound. Members are active in the Dutch scene
since years, known before from the band No Sex. Fatwas played already
on various Ladyfests around Europe.

DIE BITCH! (Roma, Italy)
electro/spoken word project of Veruska -
dedicated and active person in underground feminist and Queer scene in
Roma, editor of "Clit Rocket" Fanzine, underground radio "Queen Bee",
booking shows and tours for many girl bands.
www.grrrlzines.net/interviews/clitrocket

REGRES (Czestochowa, Poland)
all-male, positive old schoolish straight-edge hardcore with sincere, socially
aware message.
www.xregresx.prv.pl

MASSKOTKI (Warszawa, Poland)
local all female electro-punk fame. Influence by godess of electro
like Chicks On Speed or Le Tigre.
www.mass-kotki.net

LOS TRABANTOS (Warszawa, Poland)
(almost) female band, playing driving rockish punk with personal
lyrics.

except the bands we have much more to offer! Check out:

PUSSYCOXX (Berlin, Germany)
female boy group; well known dance group from Germany, defining pop
culture and gender roles in their own terms. There is lots of good
humour, parody, and radical views!
www.pussycoxx.de


DRECK QUEEN SHOW (Germany/Switzerland)
Performance and Multimedia of Elliana - singer of legendary swiss band
RE-SISTERS! Special show for all the princess!

DJANES
Lady Electra (Poland, melodic electro in the vein of Gigolo Rec.)
LTR Kociamietka (Poland, synthpop/electro/punk), plus special live show!

HAPPENINGS
Liberta - anarcho-feminist collective (Wroclaw, Poland)

DRAG KINGS
Drag King Morfi,
Drag King Delikates (both Warszawa, Poland)

SPOKEN WORD
Agata Araszkiewicz (Warszawa)
and more

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE/EXHIBITION:
"Zdradziatta"

EXHIBITIONS:
record covers of legendary all female Punk/Hardcore/Riot Grrrl bands
zines covers of legendary girl zines.
"Riot Grrrl Manifesto in Collage" (Chaos Grrrlz, Warszawa, Poland)

DISTROS/STALLS:
Emancypunx www.emancypunx.prv.pl
Refuse Records www.refuserecords.prv.pl
Feminoteka www.feminoteka.pl
Gender-Killers www.gender-killer.de
Sister To Sister and much more!

WORKSHOPS (organized by GIRLS GET UNITED, german-polish group/camp):
all the workshops will take place in a Le Madame Club (Warszawa, Kozla
Street, Stare Miasto) between 10.00 and 18.00
Some of the planned workshops:
"Wen-Do" (Agata Teutsch)
"Lesbian Safer Sex" (Sister To Sister Collective)
"Transgender in Germany and Poland" (Sandrina)
"Girl breakdance" (Julle/Pussycoxx)
some of the workshops for women-only!

WE STILL ARE OPEN ON ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN WORKSHOPS,
PERFORMANCE/HAPPENINGS AND SPOKEN WORD! If you have any others ideas,
propositions let us known!

During the festival "Noc Walpurgii 1996-2002" CD will be available with
bands participated in previous years like Harum-Scarum (us),
Re-Sisters (ch), Lady Die (nl), Scattergun (d), Lorena & The Bobbits
(d), Highscore (d), Oil (nl), Diaspora (sf), Post Regiment (pol),
Homomilitia (pol) and much more!
There will be special free fanzine available during the fest.

Vegan food and drinks available during the fest.

There will be special websites about the festival soon with all the
updates and useful informations: www.nocwalpurgii.prv.pl
Feel free to ask if you have any questions and join the festival!

30 APRIL 2004, (friday, all-night event)
POLAND, WARSZAWA, CDQ (Centralny Dom Kultury), Z˙oliborz,
Street: Burakowska 12,
Start:18.00,
Entrance: 20z? / 5 euro / $6

www.emancypunx@prv.pl, www.refuserecords.prv.pl,
any questions:
Emancypunxrecords@go2.pl or xrefusex@go2.pl

Supporters:
OSKA - www.oska.org.pl
FEDERACJA NA RZECZ KOBIET I PLANOWANIA RODZINY
posted by:
Toni
  • Re: Pride Festival in Warzawa/Poland May 1st

    Tue, May 25, 2004 - 9:08 PM
    The parade was shut down!!!!!

    Good to know that there is still a bulwark of morality and decency in this world and especially in Catholic Poland. The morally debauched and perverted can just stay out, thank you!
    • Re: Pride Festival in Warzawa/Poland May 1st

      Thu, June 17, 2004 - 10:07 AM
      Well Andrew, luckily not everybody thinks like you.
      In Berlin there will be a protest in front of the polish embassy on june 25th, at noon.
      Adress: Lassenstr. 19-21 (Berlin-Grunewald).
      A protest-letter will be given to the embassador.
      Solidarity with the polish activists! :)

      More details in German:

      >
      >N E W S F L A S H - KURZNACHRICHT
      >
      >Warschauer Bürgermeister verbietet CSD in der polnischen Hauptstadt
      >Maneo-Protestaktion beim polnischen Botschafter
      >
      >Rechtslastiger Populismus auf höchster Ebene in Polens Hauptstadt: Die
      >dortige, für den 11. Juni geplante "Equality Parade" wurde von Warschaus
      >Bürgermeister Lech Kaczynski verboten. Die schwullesbische Demonstration
      >sei "sexuell obszön" und eine "Gefahr für die öffentliche Moral". Die
      >Demonstration verfolge seiner Meinung nach das Ziel, Pornographie zu
      >verbreiten und die religiösen Gefühle von Dritten zu verletzen. Damit geht
      >der Politiker eine Allianz mit der rechtspopulistischen Partei "Liga der
      >polnischen Familien" (Liga Rodzin Polskich) und deren rechtradikalen
      >Jugendorganisation "Allpolnische Jugend" ("Mlodziez Wszechpolska") ein,
      >die durch wiederholte Anmeldungen von Gegendemonstrationen am gleichen Tag
      >und Ort dem Bürgermeister in die Hände spielte.
      >
      >Der Warschauer CSD wurde von der "Kampagne gegen Homophobie", Polens
      >größter schwul-lesbischen Bürgerrechtsorganisation, vorbereitet.
      >Gesprächsangebote mit den Warschauer CSD-Organisatoren lehnte der
      >Bürgermeister laut polnischer Pressemeldungen mit dem Hinweis ab: "Ich
      >werde mich mit keinen Perversen treffen!"
      >
      >Kurz vorher hatten zum ersten Mal in der Geschichte der Stadt Krakau vom
      >6. bis 9. Mai 2004 Tage der schwul-lesbischen Kultur stattgefunden. Die
      >Veranstaltung konnte trotz zahlreicher Einsprüche, Proteste und
      >Hassattacken seitens Vertreter lokaler und nationaler Parteipolitiker,
      >verschiedener Zeitungen und Vertreter der katholischen Kirche durchgeführt
      >werden. Höhepunkt der Kulturtage war der "Tolerenz-Marsch" am 07.06.04.
      >Dabei wurde die Demonstration mit 1.500 Teilnehmern durch
      >Gegendemonstranten der rechtsradikalen "Allpolnischen Jugend" angegriffen.
      >In Folge der Ausschreitungen wurden etwa 100 Teilnehmer des
      >Demonstrationszuges und zahlreiche Polizisten zum Teil schwer verletzt.
      >"Ein Polizist liegt noch heute auf der Intensivstation", erklärt Tomasz
      >Baczkowski, Mitglied der Kampagne gegen Homophobie. "Die jüngsten Vorfälle
      >in Krakau und die Absage der Parade in Warschau verdeutlichen die starke
      >institutionelle, politische und gesellschaftliche Homophobie in Polen",
      >erklärt Robert Biedron, Vorsitzender der "Kampagne gegen Homophobie".. Er
      >fordert, dass die EU-Institutionen Druck auf die polnische Regierung
      >ausüben, damit diese die Menschenrechte in Polen verteidigen.
      >
      >Der Vorsitzende der polnischen Bürgerrechtsorganisation wandte sich auch
      >an die deutschen Partner und bat um Unterstützung. Er traf bei den
      >Mitarbeitern des Berliner Anti-Gewalt-Projekts Maneo auf offene Ohren.
      >Dass ein staatlicher Vertreter ausgerechnet eine Veranstaltung verhindert,
      >die sich dem Abbau von Hass und Gewalt verschrieben hat, während
      >Rechtsextreme unbehelligt demonstrieren dürfen, empfinden die Mitarbeiter
      >von Maneo als Skandal. Nicht zuletzt werden damit im Nachbarland Polen die
      >von der Europäischen Menschenrechtskonvention garantierten Bürgerrechte
      >und der Schutz vor Diskriminierung verweigert. Auch die
      >Antidiskriminierungsrichtlinie der EU und die EU-Charta der Grundrechte,
      >die beide eine Benachteiligung aufgrund der sexuellen Orientierung
      >verbieten, werden völlig ignoriert.
      >
      >Seit 1998 engagieren sich Mitarbeiter von Maneo, dem Opferhilfe- und
      >Anti-Gewalt-Projekt von Mann-O-Meter e.V., Berlins schwulem informations-
      >und Beratungszentrum, für die Zusammenarbeit mit polnischen
      >Homosexuellenorganisationen. Erst im Herbst 2003 reisten Mitarbeiter von
      >Maneo nach Warschau und trafen sich dort mit Vertretern der "Kampagne
      >gegen Homophobie" und "Lambda". "Als Partnerorganisation der ,Kampagne'
      >sind über diese Entwicklung schockiert und erklären unsere volle
      >Solidarität mit den polnischen Bürgerrechtsaktivisten. Wir drücken den
      >vielen verletzten Demonstranten in Krakau unsere Anteilnahme aus. Vor
      >allem dem schwerverletzten Polizisten wünsche wir gute Besserung", erklärt
      >Bastian Finke, Projektleiter von Maneo.
      >
      >Um die Bemühungen um Akzeptanz und Offenheit zu unterstützen, will Maneo
      >am Vortag zum Berliner CSD – gemeinsam mit weiteren Freunden der
      >Antidiskriminierungs- und Antigewaltarbeit – dem polnischen Botschafter
      >einen Protestbrief übergeben.
      >
      >"Wir unterstützen die ,Kampagne gegen Homophobie' in ihrem Bemühen, für
      >mehr Akzeptanz für Schwule und Lesben in der polnischen Gesellschaft zu
      >werben. Mit ihren Zielen wirbt die Kampagne nicht nur für Toleranz
      >gegenüber Homosexuellen, sondern für alle Minderheiten in der
      >Gesellschaft. Wir wollen uns am 25. Juni, um 12 Uhr, vor der polnischen
      >Botschaft in Berlin, Lassenstr. 19-21 (Berlin-Grunewald) einfinden, um
      >unsere Solidarität mit den polnischen Bürgerrechtlern zu bekunden und dem
      >polnischen Botschafter unseren Protest zu übermitteln. Darüber hinaus
      >appellieren wir an die Abgeordneten des polnischen Parlaments, sich im
      >Sinne eines geeinten Europa für den Schutz der für alle Menschen geltenden
      >Bürgerrechte einzusetzen., so Projektleiter Bastian Finke.
      >
      >Maneo engagiert sich seit 1990 als Opferhilfe und Anti-Gewalt-Projekt in
      >Berlin für schwule und bisexuelle Männer, die von Gewalt und
      >Diskriminierung betroffen sind. Maneo wurde 2001 mit dem CSD-Preis für
      >Zivilcourage ausgezeichnet. Zu weiteren Preisträgern gehörten u.a.
      >Ex-Bundestagspräsidentin Rita Süssmuth, der Vorsitzende des Zentralrats
      >der Juden in Deutschland Paul Spiegel und die evangelische Bischöfin aus
      >Hamburg, Maria Jepsen.
      >
      >
      >
      >Aus aktuellem Anlaß laden wir am Sonntag, dem 27.06.04, um 14 Uhr, zur
      >einer weiteren Maneo-Matinee ins Mann-O-Meter ein. Der Vorsitzende der
      >,Kampagne gegen Homophobie', Robert Biedron, sowie weitere Vertreter der
      >Bürgerrechtsorganisation, werden nach dem CSD noch einem über die
      >Situation in Polen berichten und Fragen beantworten.
      • Re: Pride Festival in Warzawa/Poland May 1st

        Mon, December 27, 2004 - 6:52 AM
        Back to Poland in March. Andrew is just a shit disturber. Maybe we can pull this off anyhow. Oh yea, and a dork too.

        Erik
        • Re: Pride Festival in Warzawa/Poland May 1st

          Wed, June 15, 2005 - 12:29 AM
          Done deal. Totally "illegal" protest took place on the 11th. More than 2000 people showed up. There were almost as many skinheads, throwing eggs and rocks. The Mayor (Pres.) of Warsaw first said he was going to arrest everybody that showed up. Then, when it was pointed out that the Polish have a constitutional right to free speech now, he simply threatened to not provide police protection. Now, that would have been a disaster. Not only for the protesters but, as his advisors advised him, for his image. He wants to run for higher office, and riots in the street might have tarnished it a bit, so he provided the best security I've ever seen for a march. The fact that dozens of famous polish performers, opposition politicians, and even some very prestigious gay politicians from Germany showed up, might have had something to do with it. Problem with being a member of the EU is that you must protect all EU citizens equally. Got to love it.

          Oh yeah, and the afterparty was sooo cool. There were hundreds of young gay men and lesbian women, all so happy to have been able to show Poland that they exist. We were so proud of them.

          Also proud of the Germans for coming to support the Polish. Will wonders never cease. We are organizing a train ride for dozens of Poles to ride to Berlin on the 25th of this month, in mutual support.

          You ought to come along Andrew. You could even shave your head and throw a few rocks. Of course, the cops would have to restrain the parade members from going after you, so bring your running shoes.

          Loving Warsaw,

          Erik and Karima
          • Re: Pride Festival in Warzawa/Poland May 1st

            Wed, June 15, 2005 - 2:01 AM
            Congratulations!!! I wish I could have been there.

            Please do come to Berlin on the 25th! And not only to the official (commercial) pride but most important to the alternative transgenious pride in Kreuzberg (where I'm performing, hihi). It might be the last of it's kind since we're running out of organizers.

            Rock on!
            • Re: Pride Festival in Warzawa/Poland May 1st

              Thu, June 16, 2005 - 11:03 AM
              We don't know Berlin very well. So, you have to let us know where and when. We'll be bringing a bunch of wonderful Polish Gays and Lesbians with us, and I'm sure they would love to come along too.

              Is there a site for the venue? Let us know.

              Erik and Karima
              • Re: Pride Festival in Warzawa/Poland May 1st

                Thu, June 16, 2005 - 3:45 PM
                It all happens at the same day, 25th of June, that's next weekend. Don't know if there's a website. The alternative one happens in Kreuzberg, starting from Herrmannplatz down to Heinrichplatz. It's much smaller than the "real" one but fun.

                Just grab the free "Siegessäule" gay magazine when you're in town. I bet it has the way in it.

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