Carnival Cruises bans drag on drag cruise

Multiple passengers, who say they have tickets for Carnival Cruises’ upcoming “Drag Stars at Sea” cruise, say Carnival sent them an email informing them that passengers will be banned form dressing in drag on the drag cruise, under penalty of being kicked of the cruise. Carnival’s reason? Suffer the children! Carnival attracts a number of families with children and for this reason; we strive to present a family friendly atmosphere. It is important to us that all guests are comfortable with every aspect of the cruise. Although we realize this group consists solely of adults, we nonetheless expect all guests to recognize that minors are onboard and, refrain from engaging in inappropriate conduct in public areas. Arrangements have been made for drag performances in the main theater featuring stars from LOGO TV. These functions will be private and only the performers are permitted to dress in drag while in the theater. Guests are not allowed to dress in drag for the performances or in public areas at any time during the cruise. We’re sorry to say that any guest who violates our policies and/or whose behavior affects the comfort and enjoyment of other guests, will be disembarked at their own expense and no refund will be given. Now, why exactly would children on a drag cruise not be comfortable seeing drag, you might ask. Apparently, Carnival has booked regular old non-drag families for the same cruise it booked as a “Drag Stars at Sea” cruise. Um, awkward. So does this mean that Carnival will be banning transgender people from the cruise too – you know, for the children? And what about transgender children – will they be banned by Carnival in order to protect them from themselves? Here’s another fun question: Is Carnival violating local public accommodations laws that include gender identity? Thirteen states (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington) and the District of Columbia protect transgender people from discrimination in public accommodations. Although the exact definition of a “public accommodation” varies from state to state, a wide variety of businesses are typically covered by such statutes, including restaurants, hotels, theaters, and retail stores. These private businesses that are open to the public may not discriminate based on a person’s transgender status. Private clubs and religious organizations, however, are often exempt from the reach of public accommodations laws. If you live in a city that has a public accommodations law that covers gender identity, and Carnival tells you that your gender identity, or more precisely your gender expression, is not welcome on a Carnival Cruise, then Carnival may be setting itself up for a whopper of a civil rights lawsuit. While you might need to be transgender to sue under gender identity, I’d think anyone could sue under gender expression. Again, if local law protects gender identity and/or expression in public accommodations, and if Carnival is “doing business” in that town or state that includes these protections, and a Web site making sales in that state could be construed as “doing business,” Carnival could be liable under local civil rights laws to anyone wanting to purchase a ticket on this cruise and wanting to dress as another gender.

http%3A//americablog.com/2012/11/carnival-cruises-allegedly-bans-drag-on-drag-cruise.html



• Suffer the children? Carnival attracts the most obnoxious families it can find to sail on their vulgar ships. Trust me, those little bratty motherfuckers will hardly be fazed by drag queens! Besides, their parents are usually in the bars getting trashed or at the casino - getting trashed.

• total drag all round, think you'll be lucky to drum up a handful of replies on this snoozefest OP.

• R2? Sashay away.

• Point taken about the issues around booking. But it is equally insulting to those who are transgendered to insinuate that it is the same as simply dressing in drag.

• [quote]Point taken about the issues around booking. But it is equally insulting to those who are transgendered to insinuate that it is the same as simply dressing in drag. Wearing clothes of the other gender is called dressing in drag. Doing it full time is full time drag.

• Ours is a demented society. Little kids are exposed to astonishing levels of graphic violence in video games and movies but supposedly can't handle the troubling site of a man in lipstick and heels or a woman with a tophat and mustache. Has Carnival Cruises banned mixed race couples yet?

• There's no such thing as "transgendered." That's sexist nonsense. This edict by the Cruise line is absurd nonsense, but let's not compound it by going into further nonsense about people 'born in the wrong bodies'. So...will women be banned from wearing pants? Isn't that "drag"? Of course, this is only aimed at men. Don't want to confuse the little darlings that maybe gender behavior is all drag.

• Everything you wear is drag.

• Aren't all of these cruise companies headquartered in places where they don't have to worry about something as nonsensical as "gender expression" discrimination?

• Could they stop you from wearing a kilt? That's not really drag, but it might make a point.

  Anomynous%20

• Outrageous. Then destroy Some Like it Hot and really cleanse the culture and kill Mrs Doubtfire.

  Uncle%20Miltie

• That's what they get for booking on a pathetic cruise line like Carnival. Go with Holland America or Celebrity...which welcome LGBT groups with open arms.

• [quote]Thirteen states (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington) and the District of Columbia protect transgender people from discrimination in public accommodations. Iowa continues to amaze me. Easily the most perplexing state (in a good way).

• And quite the cruise it is, too. Run (of course) by Al and Chuck.Travel, it features seemingly EVERY contestant to ever appear on RuPaul's Drag Race, as well as Michelle Visage. The list of drag stars alone is half the ship's manifest!

  http://www.alandchuck.travel/trip/%3FtriID%3D22%26tab%3DIncluded%23TripOverview

  Virginia%20Hamm

• Cruise Ships are fundie central.

• I cruise for drag in my van.

  Eddie Murphy

• As a kid, seeing men dressed in drag was a comedy thing, like in MASH or old black and white movies. I never saw anything sexual or evil about it. Even Bugs Bunny would dress in drag. I don't understand what they think will happen if kids see drag queens.

• Ah yes, protect the kiddies - that notoriously profitable, high-spending, high-disposable-income group...

• Why would families even want to go on a drag cruise?? That just doesn't make sense. Why don't they just ban people with children? There. That was easy.

• Marry me, R7. We should all impose a massive boycott against cunty Carnival Cruises, but let's not let this devolve into yet another discussion about trannys. That is another topic altogether.

  PPSM

• I can't imagine the type of people who would put out money to go on a drag cruise. When the ship pulls into various ports do they sign up for tours of trailer parks?

• Cannot imagine something I would rather do less than go on a Carnival cruise- of any kind

  charlie

• This is OT but someone brought up Iowa. I would love to read a book about how Iowa went from heartland conservative to legalizing gay marriage and going blue. I think it's fascinating. I can only hope it's a glimpse of the future of the United States.

• I am so embarrassed that gay guys would want to go on a Carnival Cruise. It is the trashiest and straightest form of vacation. I pity them but they are asking for it by signing up for this mess.

• In the 70s there was a disco version of "If My Friends Could See Me Now" (I knew it from the Donny and Marie Show!). Any mention of Carnival Cruises gets that damn thing stuck in my head.

  Hoda

• [quote]Although we realize this group consists solely of adults, we nonetheless expect all guests to recognize that minors are onboard and, refrain from engaging in inappropriate conduct in public areas. Although exceptions are made as long as profit for Carnival Corporation & PLC is a consideration. Adult guests are encouraged to frequent our numerous onboard bars and lounges to indulge beyond all reasonable and natural capacity for alcohol intake. Therefore, the effects of extreme alcohol intake, such as offensive language and behavior (including but not limited to loud swearing and cussing yelling, whooping, insults, nudity, sexual advances) vomiting, and passing out whether or not children are present is at the sole discretion of the guest.

• Vicky Rey (author of the letter) "likes" Romney on her Facebook page. She obviously does not understand a fundamental law of the universe: YOU DO NOT PISS OFF A GROUP OF DRAG QUEENS.

• Carnival has posted a retraction letter on its Facebook page. The queens can dress where and whenever they want. Funny thing is, this probably means there will be a lot more drag than if they had just said nothing.