Boycott Atlantis Cruises

Norm Kent, Publisher

Gay sex, or Buggery, as it is known in the land of Dominica, made national news this past week.



First, let’s make sure you know what happened. Two Palm Springs California men were arrested by the Dominican police, pulled off their cruise ship and charged with buggery after being caught doing their thing on the balcony, apparently in public view of some enraged islanders who have a hell of a lot of time on their hands.

Second, they were brought before some Dominican dirt bag of a judge who, before fining them $4,000 on a reduced charge, condescendingly called them “rogues and vagabonds.”

Third, the sentence came after they had walked to court while local residents menacingly berated and abused them, shouting threatening pejoratives at them.

Fourth, that sequence of events followed an internment of nearly 24 hours in a decrepit jail cell with no lights, water or toilet, after being forcefully removed from their cruise ship, and being told by the captain they were facing up to 14 years in prison. Can you imagine what was going through their mind during those hours?

In summary, these island guests were treated like a black kid wearing a hoodie in Sanford, Florida. Here is the thing, though. Gay America and LGBT Californians can do something about it. We can rightfully expect the cruise ship companies to defend their guests and stand up for their rights. Or so we thought.

John Hart and Jay Mayer were part of a gay cruise group from California sponsored by Atlantis Events, which runs gay tourism trips around the world and markets itself as the largest gay cruise in the world.

The group chartered a Celebrity Cruise ship for the trip to Dominica. After the episode, the president of Atlantis Events, Rich Campbell, told the Associated Press that the company would continue to visit Dominica in the future. He called it “minor” and “unfortunate.” Screw him.

“Many countries and municipalities that gay men visit and live in have antiquated laws on their books,” he said. “These statutes don’t pose a concern to us in planning a tourist visit.” Too bad. They sure should.

Why the hell is a cruise ship company catering to the LGBT community running cruises to islands that openly and brazenly discriminate against gay populations? What kind of morons are we giving our money too? What kind of morons must we be to give them our money?

This may all be minor and unfortunate to Mr. Campbell and his multi million dollar parade of cruise ships, but they are not minor to the South Florida Gay News or our website, They represent a major concern. Consequently, we are going to stand up for the rights of the LGBT community even if the cruise cartel won’t. First, from this day forth this paper shall not accept advertising or publicize the programs of Atlantis Events or Celebrity Cruises. Second, this paper calls for all gay men of good conscience to conscientiously boycott those cruises and their launches to ports which openly discriminate against gay life and gay Americans. This is not about the wrongfulness of two gay men being caught engaged in a pubic act in a public place. They would be as wrong for doing the nasty on a public balcony on a cruise ship as in front of a condo swimming pool in a retirement community in Boca.

This is about the wrongfulness of a cruise ship enterprise being so willing to ask the gay community to spend their gay dollars in ports of call that are harbors of hate, decks of discrimination, and points of poison.

“It was frightening to us, and we didn’t know how to respond to them because we don’t come from a world or country that prosecutes people for being gay,” said Dennis Hart, one of the arrestees. Well, Dennis, the cruise ship is responsible for your safe passage. They should never have taken you there in the first place.

For all members of the LGBT community who elect to board one of their ships again, shame on you. A horse kicks you once and it is his fault. Kicks you again, and maybe you are to blame. Join with us. Don’t ride that horse.

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