Fermoy officially cut ties with 'LGBT-Free Zone' in Poland

A Cork town has officially terminated its 14-year twinning arrangement with an "LGBT-Free Zone" in Poland.

Following a suspension on the arrangement with the Polish town of Nowa Dęba, Fermoy has officially terminated their relationship with the town due to their stance on "LGBT discrimination".

Speaking to The Echo, Councillor Noel McCarthy, who proposed a suspension on the arrangement earlier in the year, said that the declaration of Nowa Dęba as an “LGBT-Free Zone” was something Fermoy could not be associated with.

“We have to send out the message to say that we will not tolerate that in Fermoy or in Ireland for that matter. 

"We’re very strongly against any discrimination but in this case, it was terrible," he said.

“We understand that the people in the twinning committee in Nowa Dęba had no say in this matter, but because of the stance of their local authority, we had no other choice," said Cllr McCarthy, speaking on the official termination.

“It was a council decision that we had to make, and we felt that making it was the right thing to do."

The partnership previously included visits to and Fermoy and the Eastern Polish town, in addition to cultural events and exchanges over the course of the past 14 years.

The termination comes following letters to the local authorities in Nowa Dęba and correspondence with the Mayor of the town. 

Nowa Dęba is one of almost 100 Polish municipals which has become an “LGBT Free-Zone” following declaring themselves free of LGBT “ideology” and Cllr McCarthy hopes that other Irish towns will also take the steps to terminate similar arrangements.

"Personally, I feel it was the thing to do," he added.