The country of Turkey recently denied entry to a luxury cruise carrying hundreds of LGBT passengers, explaining that they were known for, "behaviors incompatible with the fabric of our society."
Surprisingly, the decision has not met the kind of outrage from progressives you might otherwise expect. About the only "celebrity" you can find complaining is Broadway star Patti LuPone who was actually on board the ship to perform for the wealthy gay men.
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For anyone paying attention, this story exposes something much bigger than a dispute over one cruise ship. It reveals in sharp detail one of the most glaring contradictions in modern progressive politics.
For years, Christians in America have been told that merely believing marriage is between a man and a woman makes them hateful.
Pastors who preach historic Christian doctrine are branded homophobes.
Christian colleges are accused of bigotry.
Bakers, florists, adoption agencies, and countless ordinary believers have found themselves portrayed as dangerous simply because they refuse to affirm conduct they believe Scripture calls sinful.
Notice that those Christians are not advocating criminal penalties, proposing prison sentences, or calling for gay people to be denied access to the country. They are simply declaring, "We believe God designed sex and marriage differently, and choose to conduct our own affairs in accordance with such belief."
For that, faithful Christians are routinely treated as moral pariahs.
Now compare that reaction with the way much of the political left will treat this Turkey cruise ship denial given that it involves Islam.
Many Muslim-majority nations maintain laws and cultural norms regarding homosexuality that are dramatically more restrictive than anything advocated by virtually any mainstream Christian in the United States. Public expressions of homosexuality there are often legally prohibited. Pride events are banned due to their debauchery. In some countries, homosexual conduct remains a criminal offense punishable by death.
Turkish officials even released this public statement to explain why they morally objected to the cruise ship docking at their port:
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Despite such words, the Left's criticism of those views is … let's just say, remarkably restrained.
Instead, progressive multiculturalists remind us to appreciate cultural differences, avoid Islamophobia, and approach these questions with nuance and sensitivity.
Apparently, nuance is a virtue provided the religion in question isn't Christianity.
Consider the tameness of the headlines in left-wing media this week, and the lack of statements from left-wing politicians:
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Those same outlets regularly abandon objective reporting to portray pastors who preach Romans 1 as more dangerous than governments that prohibit Pride marches altogether.
A Christian grandmother declining to celebrate a same-sex wedding often becomes the subject of national outrage, while nations enforcing punitive punishments for gay people are often discussed with noticeably greater caution.
Christianity, despite teaching that every person bears the image of God, possesses inherent dignity, and deserves to be loved, prayed for, and treated with compassion, has become the culturally acceptable target.
Meanwhile, the religion of prominent left-wing politicians like Zohran Mamdani and Ilhan Omar is largely insulated from the same moral scrutiny, despite holding views on sexuality that are far less tolerant.
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The irony is difficult to miss.
Turkey denying port to a gay cruise ship didn't create this glaring contradiction.
It simply reminded everyone paying attention that it has been there all along.
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Not the Bee or any of its affiliates.
