Turkey, Egypt Deny Docking to 1,900-Passenger Gay Cruise Over 'Moral Values'
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
Turkey, Egypt Deny Docking to 1,900-Passenger Gay Cruise Over 'Moral Values'
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 16
Summary
The Scarlet Lady, chartered by LGBTQ vacation company Atlantis Events, was blocked from docking in Turkey on July 7 and then in Egypt on July 9, leaving the ship circling the Mediterranean.
Turkey’s Aydin provincial authorities said the cruise was organized by groups whose behavior did not fit “the structure of our society” and cited “moral values”; Egypt gave no reason, though Atlantis said it suspected a similar motive.
Just four hours from Alexandria, the ship lost its backup stop, spent a day at sea and then continued to Crete, a previously scheduled port on the 10-day itinerary.
The vessel was carrying 1,900 passengers, mostly Americans and predominantly gay men, underscoring how Turkey and Egypt’s recent crackdowns have pushed much gay life in both Muslim-majority countries underground.