From Newsgroup: comp.os.linux.advocacy
Wise decision.
Oh, Patty Lupone isn't aging well which is probably why she seems to go
both ways if you get my drift.
Get it?
DRIFT!
"Egypt blocks entry to 2SLGBTQ+ cruise days after Turkey did the same Mediterranean voyage changes course twice after Turkey, then Egypt refuse access"
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/2slgbtq-cruise-denied-entry-turkey-egypt- 9.7264048>
"The Scarlet Lady cruise ship has changed its itinerary for the second
time this week, after first Turkey and now Egypt denied it entry to their ports.
The ship, owned by Virgin Voyages and chartered by 2SLGBTQ+ travel
company Atlantis Events, is carrying 1,900 passengers, including
legendary Broadway performer Patti LuPone.
The passengers found out on Thursday the cruise would not be heading to Alexandria, Egypt, as a replacement for previously planned stops to
Kusadasi and Istanbul in Turkey. Earlier this week, Turkish authorities cancelled the planned port calls, saying the cruise was chartered by
groups "known for behaviours incompatible with the fabric of our society
and our moral values."
The itinerary was then revised to replace the Turkish stops with calls in Alexandria, Egypt and Crete, Greece.
But shortly before the ship was due to arrive in Alexandria, passengers
were notified through the Virgin Voyages app that the vessel had also
been denied entry into Epyptian waters.
This Toronto Pride ambassador is an 2SLGBTQ+ refugee. Now he's helping
other newcomers make their way
"We're incredibly disappointed to share that Scarlet Lady has just been
denied entry into Egyptian waters and will no longer be able to call in Alexandria," said a statement distributed to passengers.
Virgin Voyages and Atlantis Events said they were working to secure
another port.
Itinerary revised
Neither Egyptian officials, Virgin Voyages nor Atlantis Events had
publicly explained why the Alexandria call was denied. Unlike Turkey,
Egypt has not publicly cited a reason for refusing the ship entry.
While homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, the country has taken an increasingly hardline stance toward 2SLGBTQ+ rights under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. Last year, human rights groups responded
with alarm to a leaked draft legislation that would crimininalize same-
sex commitment ceremonies and expand "public indecency" provisions.
According to Virgin Voyages Insider, the cruise's itinerary has since
been revised again. The ship will now visit Santorini and Chania in
Greece, Kotor, Montenegro, and Dubrovnik and Zadar in Croatia before
arriving in Trieste, Italy, on July 15.
In an interview with CNN about Turkey's decision to deny the Scarlet Lady access to its ports, Rich Campbell, president and CEO of Atlantis Events, called the decision unprecedented.
"It's pretty stunning, to be honest," Campbell told CNN. "The reasoning
behind it is that it's a gay group."
He added that he is concerned "when a country decides they can pick and
choose which tourists are allowed in and which are not."
Patti LuPone 'furious'
In an Instagram post, LuPone also decried Turkey's stance.
"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," LuPone wrote. "I
am ready to perform for all the wonderful men on this Atlantis cruise,
who deserve so much better than this."
A woman in a black dress with long sleeves poses on a red carpet, arms outstretched.
Legendary Broadway performer Patti LuPone, seen here attending a premiere
for the film The School for Good and Evil in Los Angeles in 2022, is on
board the Scarlet Lady. (Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)
Comedian Zach Noe Towers, who is also on the ship, posted a video to
Instagram Thursday with news of the Egypt denial of entry.
"It's just blowing my mind," said Noe Towers. "We will [have a great
time] — that's the whole gay experience, having fun in the face of
adversity, but it's like: we're too gay to come spend a bunch of money in
your country?"
Then, in reference to LuPone's reaction to the Turkey news, he said, "I
am truly scared for when she wakes up and finds out about this."
The Scarlet Lady departed Athens on July 5 for a 10-night cruise through
the Mediterranean.
About 1,900 passengers are on board, with 1,100 from the United States, according to Campbel. Other travellers are from countries including
Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia"
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