LGBTQ cruise gets wake up call on Islamic culture

LGBTQ activists have spent the past 20 years protesting that the West is a terrible place in which to be gay.But this week, those same activists are getting a lesson in the difference between Western intolerance and actual intolerance, thanks to our good friends in the Muslim world.Earlier this month, a cruise ship full of homosexual men set sail from Athens.The itinerary, well, it sounded wonderfully progressive.The Scarlet Lady, that's the ship, would sail to Turkey so the almost 2 ,000 gay men on board could mingle with the locals and get a taste for Islamic culture.Here's a little taste of what was headed Turkey's way.

Plot twist visible from the International Space Station, Turkish authorities refused permission for the ship to dock.I know, right?It's a decision no one on what had been advertised as an epic all -gay cruise could possibly have seen coming.But Turkish authorities complained the LGBTQ ship was populated by, and I quote, groups known for behaviours that do not align with the structure of our society and our moral values.Now, just in case anyone was tempted to search for hidden nuances, they added this.There is absolutely no possibility of the group in question visiting our province for an event of this nature.

Subtle as a brick through a stained glass window.The passengers however, well they seemed genuinely bewildered.And you can almost understand why.I mean, after years of being told that Islamists and LGBTQ activists are natural allies against Western oppression, it must have come as something of a culture shock to discover the alliance only exists on university campuses.But their disappointment quickly turned to anger.when the cruise captain announced they'd head to Egypt instead.

Here's one of the passengers who also works for the cruise organizer.

Gay cruise update.Okay, so I'm on the gay cruise that was denied entry into Turkey.And it's like, so what?Who cares?If you want a great hair transplant, go to South Korea.So we redirect, we're going to Egypt now instead.

Amazing.

Now maybe it's just me, but Turkey said no, Egypt will love us, never struck me as a great plan B. Especially when travel advisories have been politely trying to lower expectations for years.The intrepid travel website warns, Egypt is not a safe destination for LGBTQ travellers.Public attitudes towards same -sex partnerships are openly hostile and can include physical violence.And yet the ship full of gay men headed for Egypt anyway, with everyone excitedly waving rainbow flags.Then came another entirely unforeseeable development.

Wake up this morning, denied entry into Egyptian waters as well.Well, I can't imagine the surprise.No, this doesn't say explicitly because we're gay, but it's because we're gay.

I think that's a fair assumption.

But it's like, we're too gay to come spend a bunch of money in your country.We don't need gay fried people.don't we?

Somewhere I'm convinced queers for Palestine are convening an emergency meeting to determine how this is somehow Israel's fault.In the meantime, they're blaming Trump.

As a gay man, it's just, it's really hard to hear.I know that this kind of prejudice is not new to these kind of countries.And obviously I don't want to go anywhere that shares those kind of views.But you just can't help but feel that with this current administration, people around the world feel more emboldened tothese kinds of things.

Yep.Trump made Islamic nations hate gays.Muslims have no agency.They just react to Trump.A couple of points.First, the Turkish and Egyptian authorities may actually have done these passengers a favor.

Refusing entry may have been considerably kinder than allowing them onshore.Second, the naivety of these men is absolutely astonishing.I mean, in the same way they seem to genuinely believe they're oppressed in the West, they're genuinely surprised that Islamic nations don't want a floating pride parade docking in their harbours.Reality can be such an unforgiving travel companion.Third, how's the entitlement?I had to shake my head at this statement from cruise organiser Rich Campbell.

He said, and I quote, Well, that's kind of the way the world works, Richard.So the big question for everyone on the gay cruise now is, well, where next?

If you're a country watching this and you have ocean access, you host, we travel.

Tempted as they'll be, I really urge them not to sail for Gaza, though given the remarkable ability of the progressive left to mistake slogans for reality, you wouldn't bet your house against it.