Michele Bachmann Accidentally Embarks on Gay Cruise
Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and her husband, Marcus, accidentally set sail on a gay cruise today following a misunderstanding with a travel agency. The six day jaunt on the all-gay Atlantis Cruise Lines was mistakenly booked after Marcus Bachmann visited aÂ MinneapolisÂ travel agent who assumed he was gay. Although the couple has reportedly requested to leave the ship, it won't reach its next port in The Bahamas for another three days. The pair are currently holed up in their suite waiting to disembark and return to Miami by air. Phillip Jennings, a partner at North Star Travel agency in Minnesota, is deeply apologetic over the incident and explains how the mishapÂ occurred. "Mr. Bachmann came into our office three weeks ago," Jennings says. "He said he wanted to book a cruise for himself and his partner 'Michele'. "From his demeanor, I assumed that Mr. Bachmann was gay and that 'Michel' was a man who pronounced his name in the French way. So I booked them on one of our finest all-gayÂ cruisesÂ in the Caribbean. "In retrospect it was unprofessional of me to assume his sexual orientation. I am very sorry for theÂ inconvenience this misunderstanding hasÂ caused and we have offered to fully refund the cost of the Bachmanns' trip." The unexpected detour for the Bachmanns during Congress' recess isÂ especiallyÂ ironic given their stated opposition to the "homosexual lifestyle." Michele hasÂ vociferouslyÂ opposed same-sex marriage from her perch in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Marcus operates aÂ counselingÂ center which advocates "pray the gay away"Â reparativeÂ therapy. The duo's anti-gay positions don't seem to be causing any animosity aboard the Rainbow Warrior, however. A source on board the vessel says Marcus has attracted the attention of the passengers and was even voted "cutest bear" on the ship's traditional Bear vs. Twink night. "I think he'sÂ absolutelyÂ delicious," says Albert Goldman, a sous chef from Palm Beach, Fla. "I just want to pour truffle oil on top and eat him up!" Michele for her part is having difficulty adjusting to not being the center of attention. But in an exclusive interview from the ship's satelliteÂ phone the Christian firebrand explains that the experience is not all bad. "Obviously I don't agree with 95 percent of what's been happening around me," she says, "but they do have a fantastic hair salon, and some really nice shoe shops. So I'm trying to make the best of it."