Patti LuPone has revealed that an LGBTQ+ cruise ship she is performing on has been banned from entering Turkey.
The Tony Award winner took to Instagram to share her shock regarding the news. LuPone is scheduled to perform on Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady, which sets sail on July 5 through July 15.
“I am shocked. The Atlantis cruise I am performing on next week has been banned from entering Turkey,” she wrote. “A ship — a magnificent ship — full of gay men. And me. Denied entry to Turkey simply because of who is on board.”
LuPone continued, “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.”
Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, told CNN he was stunned by Turkey’s decision.
“It’s pretty stunning, to be honest. I mean, and the reasoning behind it is that it’s a gay group,” Campbell said. “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 additionally said this was the first time in 36 years that the company has been “actively told we may not berth here because of who we are.”
The cruise was described as “an epic all-gay voyage from Athens to Venice to the Mediterranean’s most iconic destinations — Mykonos, Santorini, Istanbul, Dubrovnik, and more. We’ll dazzle 2,500 guys with stellar entertainment, the world’s best parties, and awesome experiences aboard Virgin’s Scarlet Lady” in a May Instagram post made by Atlantis.
