A cruise ship catering to LGBTQ passengers faced challenges in the Mediterranean when two Muslim-majority countries refused docking permissions. Turkish authorities cited ‘moral values’ for denying the ship’s entry.
The cruise, aboard The Scarlet Lady and organized by Atlantis Events, aimed to dock on July 7 in Kusadasi, a resort town on Turkey’s Aegean coast. However, Rich Campbell, the company’s president, stated that they were denied as the ship prepared to leave Athens. The cruise then secured approval to dock in Egypt on July 9, only to be denied entry again merely four hours from the port of Alexandria.
Local officials in Turkey’s Aydin province claimed ‘great discomfort’ due to the planned activities of groups not aligning with societal norms. Although Egypt did not provide a reason, Campbell speculated it was similar to Turkey’s stance.
The Egyptian Consulate did not respond to requests for comment. The cruise ultimately spent an extra day at sea before moving on to Crete, Greece, which was a pre-scheduled destination.
Both Egypt and Turkey have intensified exclusion campaigns against gay people, leading LGBTQ communities to adopt a low-profile existence. The Scarlet Lady carried 1,900 passengers, mostly American gay men, and featured costume parties and well-known names from LGBTQ entertainment. The cruise continued to other planned stops including Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Trieste, Italy.
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