Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady – Rendering: Virgin Voyages
Turkish authorities have banned a cruise ship catering to American LGBTQ travelers from docking in the country’s ports, citing “moral standards and family values.”
The “Athens to Venice” cruise, which departs from Greece on Sunday, July 5, was scheduled to dock in the Turkish port town of Kuşadası on July 7, followed by a trip to Istanbul, according to Atlantis Events, the LGBTQ travel company that organized the trip.
But local authorities in Turkey have canceled the “event,” saying the ship was chartered by groups “known for behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society and our moral values.”
The vessel — Scarlet Lady — is owned by Richard Branson-backed Virgin Voyages. The 10-day cruise was scheduled to sail the Mediterranean, with stops in Greece and Croatia.
Approximately 1,100 of the ship’s 1,900 passengers are from the United States, Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, told CNN. The remaining travelers are from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other countries.
“It’s pretty stunning, to be honest. I mean, the reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group,” Campbell said of Turkey’s decision to bar the ship from docking. “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’s the first time in the company’s 36-year history that it has been “actively told we may not berth here because of who we are.”
But the Turkish government’s actions should not come as a surprise. President Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party (Justice and Development) has adopted increasingly harsh stances on LGBTQ rights and cracked down on displays of LGBTQ visibility. Erdogan has previously vowed to combat “perverse” trends that he claims undermine the institution of the family and hinder efforts to increase birth rates.
Authorities in Turkey’s Aydin province, where Kuşadası is located, said there was “absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature.”
Meanwhile, officials in Istanbul said police raided a bar in the city, allegedly because an “Atlantis brochure” promoted a party there. Campbell told CNN the brochure was neither produced by nor affiliated with Atlantis Events.
“This is not a political organization,” Campbell said. “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.”
Atlantis informed passengers on July 2 that “due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to change the ports in our itinerary to remove both port calls to Turkey” because of Turkish authorities’ actions.
The ship will instead dock in Cairo, Egypt, and on the Greek island of Crete.
In an Instagram post, Broadway legend Patti LuPone said she is set to perform on the cruise.
“I am shocked,” the Tony Award-winning star of Evita and Company 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. I am ready to perform for the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise, who deserve so much better than this.”
The Daughters of the American Revolution voted against a proposal to ban transgender members during the organization's 135th Continental Congress, held June 26 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. The proposal would have required applicants to be "born female" to qualify for membership.
The organization limits membership to women aged 18 and older who descend from people who aided the American Revolution. An estimated five transgender women have joined DAR chapters in recent years, sparking debate over whether "daughters" should include people assigned male at birth who identify as women.
A new report from SafeHome.org, a home and personal security assessment firm, ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on how safe they are for the LGBTQ community.
Thirteen states earned "A" grades for LGBTQ safety based on their comprehensive pro-equality laws and low rates of hate crimes against LGBTQ people. At the other end of the spectrum, six states received "F" grades due to discriminatory laws and high rates of hate crimes targeting LGBTQ people.
The rankings were based on a composite score combining a law score and a hate crime score, which were translated into a final letter grade.
A Washington ballot initiative would require student athletes in girls' sports to verify their sex through genital exams, genetic testing, or hormone analysis.
Student athletes in Washington State who wish to compete in girls' sports could face genital exams under an anti-transgender ballot initiative headed to voters in November.
The initiative would require students to compete on teams corresponding to their sex assigned at birth and verify their "biological sex" before being cleared to play. The measure would bring Washington in line with laws or regulations in 27 states that bar transgender girls from competing on female-designated middle and high school teams.
Under the initiative, students could verify their biological sex through a visual genital exam, a genetic test, or a blood test measuring testosterone levels. The genital exam, which could be conducted by a medical professional without physical contact, would likely be the simplest option to administer, according to Seattle NPR affiliate KUOW.
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