My name is ali kopacz. I speak today as a member of Grupa Nieustającej Pomocy(Group of Unyielding Aid) in place of my disabled friend. Everyday we respond to messages sent to us on our profile page, we send out material help, we pay for doctor visits, apartment rent, for socks and underwear. We see the basic problems of our community first-hand. We don’t speak to politicians, we speak to one another. You will never be alone, even if it’s really bad – write to us. Two heads are better than one.

When we opposed the government, opponents of PiS(Law and Justice Party) loudly agreed with us. In a new smiling poland there is still no place for us. Incitement against refugees, labor union members and mothers haven’t gone away, social assistance hasn’t gone up, you still cannot evict an abuser from a family home, but evicting the whole family – that’s no problem. We have the same troubles as everyone else – no houses, exhausting and poorly paid jobs, inaccessible/expensive medical care. I speak today for all of us who could not come here. I speak for all of those, who did not get an apology from the minister of justice

We can’t take to the streets all the time – because our fights, each one of them, are an everyday thing, maybe at different times, maybe at different intensities – but everywhere we go we bring with ourselves readiness for and at the same time tiredness from struggle. In the name of all of those who join us in thoughts and intentions, from their homes where they take care of elderly family members, grandchildren, younger siblings. In the name of those who are at their jobs, because only by working seven days a week they can afford a home in this city. And in the name of those, who are no longer with us.

I am twenty-four years old. I’m a year younger than the warsaw manifa. For as long as I remember, manifa was here to yell out loud that eighth of march is not just a day for flowers, but a remembrance and an encouragement, a sign that womens’ rights, the rights of all non-cismasculine people don’t stop at the right to choose the color of the whip over us. Our basic right, our freedom and fundamental strength lies in the possibility of leaving the system of representation, it lies in grassroots, self-organizing, broad coalitions, like the ones for abortion or for people-on-the-move. Each year we chose solidarity over divisions, we chose to join all who are disdained, shunned and exploited. Regardless of how they chose to stay afloat. I thank you for choosing the same way I do. My manifa is always social, just like it always is feminist and queer, pro-abortion and standing in solidarity with people-on-the-move. Standing in solidarity with Palestine, because it will not allow for a genocide, standing in solidarity with ukrainian men, who cannot leave their country. Standing firm as a wall, strong as a machine, tall as a city, as a collective mass.

As a queer support network we have but one demand: an entire good life for each one of us. And not one less.