Patti LuPone announced that the entry of an LGBTQ+ cruise she was set to perform on has been banned from Turkey. The Tony Award-winning artist expressed her shock about this situation on Instagram. LuPone is scheduled to perform on the Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady from July 5 to July 15.

LuPone stated, "I was shocked. The cruise I will be performing on next week, the Atlantis, will not be allowed to enter Turkey," expressing her feelings. "A ship — a magnificent ship — filled with gay men. And me. We were denied entry into Turkey simply because of who is on the ship."

The artist added, "I feel angry but I'm setting sail because the ship will also visit other ports. I’m ready to perform for the amazing men on this Atlantis cruise because they deserve so much more than this situation," she said.

Rich Campbell, CEO of Atlantis Events, expressed his surprise at Turkey's decision. Campbell remarked, "It's really shocking. I mean, the reasoning behind it is the presence of a gay group," noting that it is concerning for a country to decide which tourists it will accept.

Campbell shared that the company has faced such a situation for the first time in 36 years and that "we were not allowed to dock here because of who we are." The cruise was described as an "epic all-gay journey" extending from Athens to Venice and to some of the Mediterranean's most iconic destinations — Mykonos, Santorini, Istanbul, Dubrovnik, and more.