The Warsaw-based Chrzaszczyki soccer club is well known as “Poland’s first lesbian football club”. This week, plus in light of Andrzej Duda’s present re-election, we had the opportunity to talk with its founder, Italian-born Suzi Andreis, that has been residing and fighting for LGBT+ liberties in Poland for over 2 decades. She informs us about her work, her jobs and her experience staying in Poland.

Hi Suzi, thank you for using the right time for you to respond to our concerns. First things first, limitations are gradually reducing up. Exactly just What happens to be your experience through the pandemic?

Covid possessed an impact that is huge our task, we had to cancel our yearly soccer Against Homophobia competition that was prepared for March 14. We’d and also to stop our regular conferences of y our Womxn’s Football Academy pussy hairy mature video task. We was able to start training once more during the Academy at the start of June but, thus far, Covid limitations ensure it is impractical to arrange a competition, that have all been terminated.

Strange times certainly. But let’s begin at the beginning. Exactly Just Just Exactly How did Chrzaszczyki Soccer Team start?

C hrzaszczyki began very informally in the summertime of 1999. Included in the LBT+ environment, a couple of users of a lesbian subscriber list had the idea satisfy in a park in Warsaw, to invest a while together, also to play soccer. It had been a type or type of bull crap. We didn’t have united group and extremely number of us had any football experience. But we liked that really game that is first much that people chose to carry on.

“In the very first years, our absolute goal would be to produce a place for womxn within the LGBT+ community in Warsaw. ” Credit: Suzi Andreis

Exactly just exactly What occurred next?

In the 1st years, our absolute goal would be to produce a place for womxn when you look at the LGBT+ community in Warsaw. Games would happen on a regular foundation, these people were available (pickup), we scarcely ever played on a pitch that is real. The concern would be to produce an area where non-heteronormative womxn could fulfill. Soccer had been an issue that is secondary. But things changed in 2007 once we arranged our very first competition… and it absolutely was a success! We then chose to give attention to soccer, to produce being a team, not just as community of womxn.

You will be referred to as “Poland’s first lesbian football club”, yet your club is ready to accept every person. How can you determine yourselves?

Yes, our soccer club happens of this community that is LGBT. But we don’t ask people who would like to join us about their intimate orientation or identification. Most likely the definition that is best of Chrzaszczyki is a lady club with a lot of lesbian, bisexual, transgender womxn. Our exposure as a “lesbian” team is our governmental declaration in Polish society that is homophobic. It is necessary however it’s perhaps not our only objective.

Is why you call it “inclusive soccer”?

We’re mindful that there are many social obstacles that counter womxn from involved in the overall game. Football is actually for example culturally considered a discipline that is exclusively male. We call our game soccer that is“inclusive because we make an effort to address as much obstacles as you possibly can which will make our projects accessible. Though Polish culture is pretty homogenic with regards to battle, our LGBT+ community just isn’t, LGBT+ people are various.

“Our visibility as a ‘lesbian’ team is our governmental declaration in Polish homophobic society. ” Credit: Julia Szablowska

Is it possible to expand about this?

Well, our jobs are often cost-free, or have fees that are symbolic to ensure folks of low income may take component. We don’t give attention to performance, nor competition: we should produce a place where womxn of every age and of various cap cap ability, with or without sport experience may start their adventure with soccer. Numerous at our Academy are womxn that have perhaps maybe maybe maybe not practiced any sport since their childhood and also have to construct from scratch their body that is basic coordination abilities. Also, some womxn inside the migrant community usually need certainly to work a couple of jobs in order to make ends fulfill in Warsaw. This is the reason our trainings are on a basis that is voluntary you don’t need to be here each week, it is possible to come, join and play whenever you want but still be person in the group. We additionally provide kid caring during trainings

You pointed out a few times your Academy. Are you able to inform us more about it?

In 2013, we began the Womxn’s Football Academy, a soccer school for adult womxn, meaning cis/trans, queer and non-binary individuals. The notion of our work is to produce a safe area where womxn can exercise soccer, free from any style discrimination where individuals can feel safe. We also arrange debates, movie tests, exhibitions where we speak about our experience. We skip a solid movement that is anti-discrimination Polish soccer. Yes, there’s an increasing motion and the problem of “women” in football is more visible within the news. But conversations relate solely to “women” as a homogenic social team, to sexism and gender discrimination just. We be involved in this motion, but we genuinely believe that the way that is only result in the game accessible is a wider, intersectional approach to handle social barriers and prejudices that induce systemic discrimination and exclusion.

“We additionally organize debates, movie tests, exhibitions where we speak about our experience. ” Credit: Julia Szablowska