Officials in Turkey have blocked an LGBTQ+ cruise from docking on its shores, claiming the sailing doesn't "align with the structure of our society and our moral values."
Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady is carrying 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers and Broadway icon Patti LuPone on a 10-day "epic all-gay voyage," which is being run by U.S.-based company Atlantis Events.
The ship departed Athens, Greece, on Sunday and was scheduled to dock in Kuşadası on Tuesday, later stopping in Istanbul. According to USA Today, the sailing will replace the Turkey calls with stops in Cairo and Crete this week.
"It’s pretty stunning, to be honest. I mean, and the reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group. It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not," Atlantis CEO Rich Campbell told the news outlet.
"When we pull into port, the ship looks like any other ship," added Campbell. "It’s not like we’re not a gay pride rally, we’re not a march, we’re not an organization, we’re not a political statement in any way. The cruise was advertised a year ago, it’s not new."
Atlantis has docked gay cruises in Istanbul and Kuşadası 13 times in the last 25 years, the company said.
"The Atlantis cruise I am performing on next week has been banned from entering Turkey," LuPone wrote in an Instagram post. "A ship—a magnificent ship—full of gay men. And me. Denied entry to Turkey simply because of who is on board."
"I am furious, but I am sailing, as the ship will make other ports of call," she added. "I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this."
Campbell said the company made efforts to reach out to the U.S. Embassy in Turkey to reverse the decision, but Turkish authorities wouldn't budge.
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