Key Points
Patti LuPone is speaking out about an LGBTQ+ cruise not being allowed to stop in Turkey.
The singer is performing on Atlantis Events’ “all-gay” ship.
Turkey banned the cruise due to “moral standards.”
Patti LuPone is “furious” over an LGBTQ+ cruise she’s performing on being banned from docking in Turkey.
Set to depart Greece on Sunday, the Scarlet Lady ship was to stop in Istanbul and Kuşadası, but Turkish authorities are not allowing the cruise into the country’s ports, citing “moral standards” and “family values,” according to celebrity.land.
LuPone is taking part in the voyage from Atlantis Events, and following the news, the iconic performer and three-time Tony Award winner shared her outrage on Instagram.
“I am shocked,” she wrote. “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. I am furious, but I am sailing, as the ship will make other ports of call.”
She concluded, “I am ready to perform for the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this.”
Over recent years, the Turkish government has increasingly targeted the LGBTQ+ community within the country, even banning Pride marches for the last decade. And with Atlantis Events advertising itself as a host of “iconic all-gay vacations,” Turkish authorities banned the vessel from arriving due to the cruise liner being “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
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Rich Campbell, the president and CEO of Atlantis Events, said that this was the first time in the company’s history they’ve been “actively told we may not berth here because of who we are.”
“The reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group,” Campbell told celebrity.land. “It’s very concerning to me when a country decides they can pick and choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not.”
He 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.”
The 11-day cruise was originally scheduled to port in Greece, Turkey, Croatia, and Italy, but will now substitute Cairo, Egypt, and the Greek island of Crete for Turkey.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
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