A cruise ship carrying 2,000 LGBTQ+ passengers, including legendary Broadway performer Patti LuPone, has been barred from docking in Turkey. Local authorities blocked the vessel's entry, claiming that the passengers' behavior does not align with the country's societal structure and moral values.
The ship, Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, was chartered by Atlantis, a US company specializing in vacations for the LGBTQ+ community. Having set sail from Athens on July 5 for a 10-day voyage, the ship was scheduled to dock in the port town of Kuşadası on July 7, with a subsequent stop planned in Istanbul.
However, provincial authorities in Aydin, where Kuşadası is located, announced that the ship's arrival had been canceled. They stated that the event had sparked "significant public concern" and declared there was "no possibility" of the group visiting the region.
Rich Campbell, the president and chief executive of Atlantis, expressed shock at the decision. He noted that the company had operated gay cruises to Turkey 13 times over the last 25 years without issue. "It is the first time in our 36-year history that we have been actively told we may not berth because of who we are," Campbell said, adding that attempts to resolve the situation through the US embassy in Turkey had failed. The cruise line has adjusted its itinerary, redirecting the ship to Cairo and Crete.
Broadway star Patti LuPone, 77, expressed her outrage on Instagram, criticizing the decision to deny entry to a ship "simply because of who is on board." She added, "I am furious, but I am sailing... The passengers deserve so much better than this."
Although homosexuality is legal in Turkey, hostility toward the LGBTQ+ community has intensified in recent years. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has frequently targeted the community in public speeches, and the annual Istanbul Pride march has been banned since 2015. The current ban marks a significant shift from 2000, when Turkey's then-tourism minister apologized after a similar cruise ship incident, stating that the country should not discriminate based on sexual preference.