Sowing the seeds of solidarity in public space: case study of the Poznan March of equality

Drawing upon qualitative research in gay and lesbian public activism, this article explores the links between mobilization and repression on the basis of a case study of the Poznan March of Equality. In the context of the repressive right-wing political climate following the 2005 governmental and presidential elections in Poland, organizers of the Poznan march drew on the legacy of the Polish Solidarity movement in order to gain legitimacy for introducing issues of sexuality in public space. This article contributes to existing literature on new social movements in Poland and critiques the thesis that collective mobilization in present-day Poland is extremely rare and not centred on the affirmation of subjectivity.