T-SHIRT FOR FREEDOM. Campaign of the Foundation for Freedom

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1 T-SHIRT FOR FREEDOM Campaign of the Foundation for Freedom The first edition of the campaign T-shirt for Freedom was created in the middle of year It s organized by the Foundation for Freedom. The campaign consists in spreading t-shirts individual billboards with slogans signalizing the existence of some taboo topics which in our opinion shouldn t be taboos and discriminated social groups in Poland. The campaign gained the support of many polish celebrities, who agreed on being photographed in our t-shirts: Piotr Najsztub, Agnieszka Holland, Muniek Staszczyk, Renata Dancewicz and Władysław Frasyniuk. These pictures made by Konrad Pustoła were published in the fashion section of the High Hills magazine ( Wysokie Obcasy ) the Saturday add-on to the biggest polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza. The campaign provoked a vital discussion. It was commented in many Polish national newspapers and magazines and on the radio and television. The action was invented by a young sociologist Antek Adamowicz. In the first edition the slogans printed on the t-shirts were the following: I m a Jew (jestem Żydem/Żydówką) I m an Arab (jestem Arabem/Arabką) I m black (jestem murzynką/murzynem) I don t listen to the pope (nie słucham papieża) I don t want to have kids (nie chcę mieć dzieci) I don t go to church (nie chodzę do kościoła) I m a gay (jestem gejem) I m a lesbian (jestem lesbijką) I had a vagina (miałem pochwę) I don t like sex (nie lubię seksu) I have my period (mam okres) I have a spiral (mam spiralę) I m from the country side (jestem ze wsi) I have AIDS (mam AIDS) I m unemployed (jestem bezrobotny/bezrobotna) I was a prisoner (byłem więźniem/więźniem) I masturbate myself (masturbuję się) I had an abortion (usunęłam ciążę) The artistic group Spółdzielnia prepared the graphics for each of these slogans: Details in Polish and all graphics and pictures:

2 The campaign received the price Glasses of Equality ( Okulary Równości) given by the Office of the Represantant of the Government for the Equality Between Men and Women (Biuro Pełnomocnika Rządu ds. Równego Statusu Kobiet i Mężczyzn). Agnieszka Holland (film director) in the t-shirt I don t go to church Muniek Staszczyk (rock signer) in the t-shirt I m a Jew Piotr Najsztub (head of Przekrój magazine) in the t- shirt I m a gay The exposition of these pictures was exposed in many Polish cities. The first edition was prepared with the support of the Campaign Against Homophobia (Kampania Przeciw Homofobii), the Krytyka Polityczna magazine and was sponsored by the t-shirt shop Tiszert from Warsaw. II Edition of the Campaign In spring of the year 2005 together with the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza a national contest for new slogans for the T-shirt for Freedom campaign was organized. The contest had very simple rules and anyone could participate. Gazeta Wyborcza on the 29 th of April 2005 wrote: If you see a problem unnoticed by others; if close to you live harmed people; if you think that about some topic there too few discussion say it loud! Send us an idea of a slogan with a short argumentation in which you will write, why the problem pointed by you is important in your opinion. The slogan should be a short sentence in first person (for example: I have a period, I m from the country side or I don t go to church ). The argumentation shouldn t be longer than half a page.

3 From the 6 th of May 2005 until the 27 th of May 2005 two times a week one slogan chosen by a special commission (participating: journalists, judge, linguist, photographer, organizer) was published in Gazeta Wyborcza and added to the campaign. Together with the slogan and a graphic designed by Studio Bakalie ( the argumentation sent by the author was printed. Since the appearance of each of these publications new t-shirts were immediately available in non-profit sale. Finally 9 slogans were chosen: I m on the list (jestem na liście) I m mentally ill (jestem chory/a psychicznie) I m a fan of the other team (jestem kibicem innej drużyny) I m can t afford it (nie stać mnie) I didn t cry for the pope (nie płakałem/am po papieżu) I won t cook the soup for him any more (już mu zupy nie gotuję) I have two mommies/daddies (mam dwie mamusie/dwóch tatusiów) I will be old (będę stara/y) I don t wear T-shirts for Freedom (nie noszę Tiszertów dla Wolności ) Again a lot o Polish celebrities supported the second edition of the campaign. Their pictures, made by Konrad Pustoła, in the t-shirts were printed in the High Hills magazine ( Wysokie Obcasy ) on the 25 th of June These celebrities were among others: Kuba Wojewódzki, Anna Mucha, Maryla Rodowicz, Kazimierz Kutz, Max Cegielski, Krzysztof Materna.

4 Kazimierz Kutz (film director and senator) in the t-shirt I have two mommies Maryla Rodowicz (pop signer) in the t-shirt I m a fan of the other team Tiszert dla Wolności Tour On the 16 th of July 2005 an exposition of all of the pictures of celebrities supporting the campaign began to travel around Poland. The exposition was presented in Warsaw ( , Central Railway Station Dworzec Centralny PKP), in Cracow ( , Central Railway Station Dworzec Główny PKP), and in Poznań ( , School of Humanities and Journalism Wyższa Szkoła Nauk Humanistycznych i Dziennikarstwa). The exposition is accompanied by discussions and conferences during which social activists and politicians discuss the need of organized this kind of campaigns. There was supposed to be organized also an exposition in Lublin, in Chatka Żaka property of the Marie Curie-Sklodowska University. This exposition was supposed to be a part of a festival on Human Rights Human Rights in Films organized by Amnesty International and Helsinki Fund. This exposition did not take place in the end because in was prohibited under the pressure of the local bishop by the dean of the University. In these circumstances the organizers cancelled the whole festival. This fact evoked a national debate on the freedom of speech and relations between the Catholic Church and public institutions. All Polish national media talked about it and conferences were organized. The exposition continues it s way around Polish cities. In the end of the campaign a book with the most interesting comments and analysis about the campaign will be published. All details in Polish about the campaign can be found on the site: We will be pleased to give more information in English if needed. Just contact us on the following or telephone number:

5 ORGANIZER: Ul. Skolimowska 6/ Warszawa Tel.: Mobile: , , , PARTNERS: