<\/p>\n
In a stunning situation not observed in any other part of the world in recent years, the government of T\u00fcrkiye has blocked a cruise ship carrying primarily American LGBTQ+ travelers from docking in two of the country’s ports over what they described came down to “moral standards” and “family values.”<\/p>\n
Atlantis Events, a company that launched in 1991 organizing all-gay and all-lesbian events in California, was running the 10-day LGBTQ+ “Athens To Venice” cruise on Virgin Voyages\u2019 Scarlet Lady passenger ship.<\/p>\n
The initial itinerary would have the cruise set off from Greece on July 5 and stop in Ku\u015fadas\u0131 on the Aegean Coast two days later before another stop in Istanbul. After the last-minute entry ban from Turkish authorities, the cruise organizers were forced to make last-minute adjustments that will instead see it stop in Cairo and Crete.<\/p>\n
Atlantis Events “told we may not berth here because of who we are”<\/p>\n
“It’s pretty stunning, to be honest,” Atlantis Events Rich Campbell described to CNN while adding that it was the first time in 36 years of running these LGBTQ+ events that he has seen his group be “actively told we may not berth here because of who we are.”<\/p>\n
The decision comes as the government led by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has increasingly been cracking down on the LGBTQ+ community in T\u00fcrkiye. In political speeches, Erdogan has personally referred to LGBTQ+ people as “perverse,” “terrorists,” and “vandals” seeking to destroy the country’s values. Pride marches in the country have been banned since 2015.<\/p>\n
Related: US government warns of ‘targeting of gay and lesbian individuals’ at holiday destination<\/p>\n
The Scarlet Lady is set to carry 1,900 passengers of which approximately 1,100 will be from the U.S. and the rest from predominantly English-speaking countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.<\/p>\n
The government in the Aydin province where Ku\u015fadas\u0131 is located put out a statement saying there was “absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature.”<\/p>\n
The Virgin Atlantic Scarlet Lady is pictured at sea.<\/p>\n
Image source: Virgin Voyages<\/p>\n
“We are not there for anything except to spend money”: More on Turkish gay cruise ban<\/p>\n
“Denied entry to Turkey [the country has officially changed its name to T\u00fcrkiye in 2022] simply because of who is on board,” Patti Lupone, a entertainer who is set to perform on the ship, wrote in her own Instagram post on the situation. “I am furious, but I am sailing, as the ship will make other ports of call.”<\/p>\n
More Travel News:<\/p>\n
Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in the BahamasUnexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka<\/p>\n
As news of the situation spread, members of the LGBTQ+ community both in T\u00fcrkiye and around the world expressed their outrage and solidarity with the travelers onboard.<\/p>\n
“This is not a political organization,” Campbell said further of the entry ban. “We are not there for anything except to spend money, have a good time, take tours and be incredibly respectful to every culture we visit.”<\/p>\n
Egypt, one of the countries where the Atlantis cruise was redirected for a port stop, also periodically prosecutes local LGBTQ+ residents over laws around “debauchery” and public morality but has no history of banning foreigners based on sexual orientation. Homosexuality is not officially criminalized in either country.<\/p>\n
Related: Popular cruise, tourist destination will triple entry tax<\/p>\n
#cruise #full #LGBTQ #travelers #denied #entry #Turkish #government<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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