Authorities in Turkey have barred an Atlantis cruise from docking at two ports in the country. Guest performer Patti LuPone is among those who have expressed shock.
CNN reports the “Athens to Venice” 10-day cruise will set sail on Sunday (July 5). The vessel is the Scarlet Lady, owned by the Richard Branson-backed cruise line Virgin Voyage.
The ship will carry around 1,100 American travelers — mostly gay men — and a further 800 mainly from Canada, the UK and Australia.
How about we take this to the next level?
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
It was due to dock at the Turkish port town of Kuşadası, followed by a trip to Istanbul. Here’s a promo video for the trip.
Declining permission to dock, Turkish authorities said the cruise is “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
“Shocked … furious”
Rich Campbell, the president and CEO of Atlantis Events, told CNN, “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.”
Campbell said it was the first time in its 36 years that Atlantis had been actively denied permission to dock “because of who we are.”
Another person to express horror was Broadway icon Patti LuPone. On social media, she said, “I am shocked. The Atlantis cruise I am performing on next week, has been banned from entering Turkey. A ship — a magnificent ship — full of well-heeled 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. I am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this.”
Local gay club shut down for Atlantis welcome
Local media also report that authorities in Istanbul have shut down a long-running gay nightclub, Tek Yön. The move came after the club posted an advert on social media inviting Atlantis passengers to visit the club. A local, pro-government news outlet picked up on the advert and ran a story alleging the club was planning an “audacious boat party”.
Tek Yön posted a message on social media denying it was organizing a boat party, and that it was simply inviting the cruise passengers to visit.
“Our business has been operating for 18 years in maximum compliance with the laws of the Republic of Turkey and other legal regulations,” it said.
However, authorities now claim the venue followed “practices and transactions that violate legal regulations.”
Atlantis says its cruise will now stop in Cairo, Egypt and the Greek island of Crete instead of Turkey.
Turkey’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights
Turkey is led by right-wing, authoritarian President Tayyip Erdoğan. He and his party have increasingly criticized the LGBTQ+ community.
In 2023, Erdoğan listed LGBTQ+ people as one of the “biggest threats against the family,” and blamed homosexuality for the country’s declining birthrate.
Pride parades in Istanbul have been banned since 2015.
Last weekend, activists attempted to hold several small Pride marches in Istanbul but were stopped by authorities. At least 50 were subsequently taken into custody, including at least one journalist.
Turkey was recently ranked 47 out of 49 in ILGA-Europe’s 18th annual Rainbow Map. The listing ranks European countries by their LGBTQ-friendly credentials.
Related
Guys dish on what really goes down on gay cruises
Are gay cruises non-stop partying and endless hook-ups?
MUBI scraps film festival in Turkey after authorities ban it from screening ‘Queer’
The Daniel Craig movie was too hot and too, well, queer, for Turkish officials.
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
