Theater legend Patti LuPone is set to sail with a boatload of her fans, but the Turkish government had other plans.
Turkish authorities have blocked gay cruise line Atlantis Events’ upcoming voyage from docking at two of its scheduled ports, forcing a reroute just days before the ship sets sail. LuPone, who is booked to perform onboard, fired off an Instagram post Thursday (July 3) reacting to the ban.
"I am shocked," she wrote. "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."
Officials in Aydın province canceled two planned stops — Kuşadası and Istanbul — stating the ship was chartered by groups whose behavior was "incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values," and that there was "absolutely no possibility" of the group docking for an event of that nature.
Atlantis Events CEO Rich Campbell told CNN the decision was "pretty stunning." "The reasoning behind it is that it's a gay group," he told CNN. "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 added: "This is not a political organization. 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."
He said the ban marks the first time in Atlantis Events' 36-year history that the company has been explicitly told it may not berth at a port because of who its passengers are.
The affected voyage is a 10-day Mediterranean trip called "Athens to Venice," sailing aboard Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady from Athens on July 5 and returning July 15. The roughly 1,900 passengers are predominantly gay men, with approximately 1,100 Americans joined by travelers from the UK, Canada, and Australia. Atlantis has rerouted the cruise to include stops in Cairo, Egypt and the Greek island of Crete in place of the two Turkish ports, according to Deadline.
Istanbul authorities shut down Tek Yön, a gay nightclub that had operated for 18 years, after the club posted a social media invite welcoming Atlantis passengers. A pro-government outlet accused the venue of organizing a boat party connected to the cruise; Tek Yön denied it, saying it was simply welcoming guests to the club. Campbell noted that the flyer Turkish officials cited was not affiliated with Atlantis.
The ban arrives against a well-documented backdrop of state hostility toward LGBTQ people in Turkey. Istanbul has prohibited Pride marches since 2015. In late June, authorities detained at least 50 people, including at least one journalist, after activists attempted small Pride marches in the city. Turkey ranked 47th out of 49 countries on ILGA-Europe's most recent Rainbow Map, which grades nations on LGBTQ-friendly policies.
The Scarlet Lady departs Athens on Sunday, July 5.
