Patti LuPone performs for the Atlantis cruise barred by Turkey and Egypt
The Broadway legend was shocked to discover the gay cruise was turned away from some countries.
Mark
As previously reported, an Atlantis gay cruise has made headlines over the last couple of weeks after it was declined permission to dock at two ports in Turkey.
The company, the best-known LGBTQ+ cruise operator in the world, instead altered its itinerary to include a stop in Alexandria, Egypt. This would have allowed for a day trip to Cairo.
However, Egypt also then declined the ship permission to dock. This is despite Atlantis visiting both countries on previous cruises. Both countries appear to have now declined the cruise operator over “moral issues”. Authorities in Turkey have increasingly acted to restrict LGBTQ rights and freedom of expression in recent years, after banning Pride parades in the country in 2015.
The first person to alert the wider world to the Atlantis situation was none other than Broadway performer Patti LuPone.
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On July 2, LuPone posted a message to 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.”
Triumphant shows aboard Atlantis cruise
Yesterday, LuPone posted a follow-up from aboard the ship: Virgin Voyage’s Scarlet Lady.
She included a couple of selfies of herself in front of a packed auditorium of gay men.
“A ship—a magnificent ship—full of gay men. And me,” LuPone quipped.
Many thanked her for posting the photos and for her allyship.
“I have NEVER loved you more than THIS!!” said one commentator. “You have ALWAYS been an ally. I came to my gay awakening during your reign as Evita…..and you have been there all the way thru my gay existence. THANK YOU for ALWAYS standing up for our community.”
A woman said, “I would love to see you do an Olivia Cruise. Your lesbian fans deserve equal time!”
Olivia is the best-known operator of bespoke lesbian cruises and expeditions.
On Instagram, Joe Locke, who starred with LuPone in the TV show Agatha All Along, simply said “Queen”.
Others aboard also shared photos of the legend.
“Very concerning”
The Atlantis ‘Athens to Venice’ 10-day cruise set sail on Sunday, July 5. It is carrying around 1,900 passengers. Just over a 1,000 of these are gay men from the US (followed by Canada, Australia and the UK).
Declining permission to dock, Turkish authorities said the cruise is “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
Rich Campbell, the president and CEO of Atlantis Events, previously 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.”
Related
What it was like to be on the LGBTQ+ cruise denied entry – twice
Passengers on the Atlantis’ Mediterranean cruise were just dealt a second extraordinary setback…We stayed in a conservative area of Istanbul. It tested the limits of my tolerance.
I don’t regret our time there. But those waters? This particular fish doesn’t want to swim in them again.
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