Turkey has blocked a cruise ship carrying 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers from docking. Broadway legend Patti LuPone was also aboard. Virgin Voyage’s Scarlet Lady set sail from Athens, Greece, on July 5 and was expected to land in the port town of Kuşadası on July 7, before heading to Istanbul.
Dubbed “an epic all-gay voyage”, the 10-day excursion is run by Atlantis, a US company that organises cruises and holidays for LGBTQ+ people. However, ahead of their trip to Turkey, local authorities in the Aydin province published a statement online saying the ship was chartered “by groups known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values”.
They confirmed that the vessel’s arrival had been “cancelled” after it “sparked significant public concern”, adding: “There is absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature.”
Alongside the LGBTQ+ passengers heading to Turkey is Tony winner Patti LuPone, who is performing on the cruise ship. The 77-year-old took to Instagram to react to the news, sharing, “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 gay men. And me. Denied entry to Turkey simply because of who is on board,” she continued.
“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.”
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President and Chief Executive of Atlantis Events, Rich Campbell, told USA Today that they have docked gay cruises in Istanbul and Kuşadası 13 times over the last 25 years. He told CNN that this was the first time in the company’s history that they had been “actively told we may not berth here because of who we are”.
“It’s pretty stunning, to be honest,” he expressed. “It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not.”
In 2000, then tourism minister Erkan Mumcu apologised after police prevented 800 tourists on a gay cruise ship from entering Kuşadası and the nearby Roman ruins at Ephesus. “I hope they will complete their trip without any problems,” he said. “We cannot discriminate according to people’s sexual preference.”
Campbell shared that this time, they have been unable “to get the Turkish authorities to move” on the decision. The ship will now stop in Cairo, Egypt, and the Greek island of Crete instead.
Same-sex activity is not criminalised in Turkey, but homophobia is widespread, and there are several anti-LGBTQ+ policies in place. An indirect ban on Pride celebrations was introduced in 2015, and this year, at least 50 people were arrested for attending Istanbul Pride on June 28.
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