Westerners for the most part are generous and compassionate people unselfishly supporting various non-profit charities internationally from worldwide hunger relief to human rights. In 2004 many former Soviet republics and satellites became members’ states entering the European Union. This made them eligible for hundreds of million of Euros in public grants and endowments. The new access to the funding created a swarm of new nongovernmental agencies registrations in these countries. Neither the Eastern European LGBT community nor any other human rights organization was immune to unscrupulous entrepreneurs pleading to sympathetic and unsuspecting western donors for financial aide. There is a scandal in Poland involving "Equality Foundation" (Fundacja Równości) which coordinates the annual "Equality Parade" (Parada Rownosci) as well as Campaign Against Homophobia, (Kampaina Przeciw Homofobii aka KPH.) The correlation between these three entities is one central character the flamboyant self proclaimed gay activist Robert Biedron founder of KPH.
Robert Biedron and his associate Tomasz Baczkowski current president of "Equality Foundation’s" board of directors allegedly co-conspired in 2005 to deceive not only Polish gays but Western donors. They need a "worthy" LGBT endeavor to advocate thus they proceeded to convince Szymon Niemiec who in 2001 established the "Parada Rownosci" (Equality Parade) to join them in forming a non-profit foundation in order to raise funds from the west.
Immediately after legal registration was completed Symon Niemiec was hospitalized and incapacitated for one year. During his absence Biedron and Baczkowski isolated Niemiec’s input into the foundations operations. Successfully, physically although not
legally under neither Polish nor international law, the two managed to take physical control of the foundation. Szymon Niemiec did not have financial resources or the support of the LGBT community to challenge Biedron and Baczkowski. The following year, 2007, Niemiec requested the assistance of an American friend in exploiting the details of his story. One must also retain in perspective that within the history and culture of the former
Communist nation previously governed by corrupt politicians, those perceived as weak and opposition were routinely ignored or exiled. The friends worked together for two years researching archived legal documents and reaching-out to westerner journalist. The Polish mainstream media weren’t interested of course in the story because it involved homosexuals. Poland’s gay media although aware of the allegations surrounding Biedron and Baczkowski exclusion of the primary co-founder of the foundation did not want to expose the matter. Instead they wanted to maintain the "family" fight behind closed doors.
"... This isn't a simple case of community camps "in-fighting" it much greater than that and concerns respect and equality amongst ourselves. We seek to expose this injustice. It not only affects the LGBT communities but also their supporters and private donors. We've sought aide from Poland's government and they have investigated the matter and it is now before a court. I privately have also contacted the White House and Palais de l'Elysée requesting they monitor the legal procedures to ensure that both Poland's and the international laws governing non-profits are upheld. These efforts combined with our advocating the mainstream and gay media to investigate and report on our concerns are not enough - we need and require LGBT members voices demanding transparency and accountability in Poland..."
-Lee Cavitt, CEO, ILGCN Polska
There are currently three ongoing litigation against Biedron and Baczkowski.
- In October 2008, using funds donated to fight homophobes, Robert Biedron president of "Campaign Against Homophobia" filed a frivolous lawsuit against Jacek Alder claiming that his reputation and that of KPH had been damaged by Adler’s negative articles which span several years since 2005. In these articles as an investigative journalist Jacek Adler only questioned the prudence of Biedron’s associations’ use of donations
- In March 2009 Poland’s government filed court charges against Equality Foundation for irregularities. This is not a conservative homophobic witch-hunt as some may assume or as it may be portrayed by the accused. The fact of the matter is that the government was requested to investigate the foundation by of one of its co-founders and permanent executive board members ILGCN Polska. See 'EVIDENCE" link below for official documents filed by Poland's government against NGO and supporting papers.
- In April 2009 gay blogger and journalist ‘Ricard M" filed a counter lawsuit against Robert Biedron and "Campaign Against Homophobia" for defamation and slander.
Pressure only increased for transparency when Lee Cavitt and Szymon Niemiec reached out to western mainstream media to expose Biedron and Baczkowski. Szymon Niemiec and Lee together invested a great deal of personal resources and efforts to expose the scandal. Cavitt himself has written numerous letters to mainstream media and to public officials in his mother country and EU residence of France including letters to Presidents Obama and Sarkozy.
These legal battles continue on into civil court and unlike Biedron and Baczkowski with the cache of public funding Cavitt and Niemiec resources are limited. They are requesting assistance via the website
ILGCN Polska or "
Friends Of Szymon Foundation"
Important background articles:
EVIDENCE dossier.
This includes Poland's government lawsuit pages 10,11 and 12 English translation; Originals pages 13,14 and 15. Dossier includes archived documents which established Poland's government legal case and supported allegation made by ILGCN Polska.
Polish gay movement gains momentum
Australian news journal article.
The fight for LGBT rights in Poland stopped long ago
Gaylife article in English.
Munister is going to court – Is foundation under siege of receivership? (How Equality Parade Was Stolen From Szymon Niemiec)
Gaylife article in English.
EOPA and INTER PRIDE Notified, Read their replies in this previous post.