NEW YORK -- Several gay rights' groups threatened to boycott the
Cayman Islands after its government denied Norwegian Cruise Lines'
Leeward permission to dock there on Feb. 1 with a gay charter group
on board.
Rich Campbell, president of Los Angeles-based Atlantis Events,
which is chartering the ship for that sailing, said his office has
been inundated with faxes and e-mail criticizing the statement
issued earlier this month by Thomas C. Jefferson, Cayman Islands'
minister of tourism. It stated, in part, that "we cannot count on
this group to uphold the standards of appropriate behavior expected
of visitors." That statement was followed by another from the
Cayman Islands Government Information Services, which indicated the
ship was refused docking rights because the port would be at or
over capacity on Feb. 1.
Human Rights Campaign, a Washington-based gay rights
organization, asked the government to reconsider its decision and
warned that a tourism boycott of the British colony remained a
possibility.
The New York-based gay travel newsletter Out & About called
for a travel boycott in its current issue. Editor Billy
Kolber-Stuart called the decision "an act of most blatant
discrimination" and urged all travelers to divert their travel away
from the Cayman Islands.
James Fuhrman at Star World Travel in West Hollywood, Calif.
said that "this kind of blatant discrimination cannot be tolerated
or rewarded by responsible travel agents. I won't send anyone
there, regardless of their sexual preferences."
Cayman Airways and Cayman Islands Reservations Services could
not be reached for comment.
According to Atlantis Events, the Leeward will instead call at
Belize during its February charter sailing.