# A Not-So-Gay Holiday

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/a-not-so-gay-holiday/
- Published: 2026-07-17T10:30:40+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-03T03:13:06+00:00
- Original publisher: National Review (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/07/a-not-so-gay-holiday/
- Topics: Culture, Middle East, Politics, Travel, World

## Key points

- Turkey and Egypt denied an LGBTQ+ cruise entry.
- Around 2,000 passengers faced itinerary changes.
- The incident underscores travel risks for LGBTQ+ visitors.

## Summary

Turkey and Egypt refused entry to the Scarlet Lady, a cruise ship chartered for an LGBTQ+ holiday, forcing major last-minute changes to its Mediterranean itinerary. The episode matters because it highlights the practical and political risks faced by LGBTQ+ travellers in destinations where official attitudes towards homosexuality remain restrictive.

The Atlantis Events voyage carried roughly 1,900–2,000 passengers, predominantly gay men, on a ten-day or eleven-day trip from Athens. Planned calls at Kuşadası and Istanbul were cancelled after Turkish authorities cited conduct allegedly incompatible with social and moral values; Alexandria, added as a replacement, was then also refused by Egypt. The ship instead spent additional time at sea and continued to other scheduled destinations, including Crete and ports in Croatia and Italy.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.