Homophobic comedian’s show cancelled after protest

By Joe Leogue

A scheduled appearance of a Polish travel writer and comedian at the CIT School of Music has been cancelled, the

Irish Examiner understands, after the LGBT+ community protested against his homophobic rhetoric.

Wojciech Cejrowski was set to appear at CIT School of Music next Friday for an “American-style” performance of stand-up comedy and “stories about adventures and travels”, according to the event’s Facebook page.

However, Mr Cejrowski’s remarks on issues such as homosexuality, abortion, and Islam prompted protest.

“Cejrowski has built a career and his notoriety by inciting hatred and violence towards people who identify as LGBT+,” Cork Pride said in a statement.

He’s not just homophobic; he equates people who are gay to paedophiles and openly calls for them to be attacked.

The Irish Examiner understands that the event has been cancelled. A CIT spokesperson said bookings for the School of Music building is overseen by facilities management company Apleona.

Apleona did not reply to queries.

The Cork appearance was one of a series of dates due to take place across Ireland in the next week, starting in Dublin tonight, Galway tomorrow, and Belfast on Saturday, September 15, as part of Polish Cultural Week.

Aleksandra Lojek, a hate crime support worker in the North and a Polish native, objected to Mr Cejrowski’s appearance in Belfast.

“It’s not even controversial, it’s simply Islamophobic and homophobic rants,” she told The Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster in July.

My initial reaction was: ‘No, no, not here, not this guy, not here in Northern Ireland where we are trying to integrate and where we have been living for many years.’ I would never agree for anybody, regardless if they are a Polish, Russian, Lithuanian, Northern Irish, British, or an Irish person, to spread hatred.

Mr Cejrowski’s appearance at the Black Box Theatre in Galway tomorrow will be protested by the Amach LGBT Galway group.

“The scheduled performer has a well-know history of including discriminatory and inflammatory content in his programmes; content that in particular is considered homophobic, with an aim to incite the exclusion of members of the LGBT+ community as well as women’s rights,” the group said.