Southwest Airlines originally said that they ejected The L Word actress Leisha Hailey for “excessively” kissing her girlfriend. Now they’re saying that they booted her for using “loud profanity” when a flight attendant asked them to stop. But the fact that a flight attendant said anything at all still proves that Southwest employees have a lot to learn when it comes to gay passengers.
Here’s the deal: Southwest says that they initially approached Hailey “solely on behavior” because other passengers found her lady-kissing “excessive,” but one web commenter notes, “Passengers are much more likely to find kissing “excessive” if it takes place between a same-sex couple than they are if it’s a straight couple.” Plus, Southwest’s original statement makes it unclear if they approached Hailey because of her kissing or because of customers complaining about her kissing.
Since Southwest said that they received “several passenger complaints” about Hailey’s kiss, they’ve obviously caved into their customers’ homophobia.
Hailey called the kiss between her and her girlfriend “a modest kiss.” Unless the women were hungrily devouring each other’s faces while feeling one another up to Basement Jaxx’s “Twerk,” it’s hard to imagine what they could have done that a fellow passenger would have found “excessive if done by a straight couple.
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So whether Hailey swore or not isn’t nearly as important as the fact that the flight attendants might have had to good reason to approach her to begin with.
Jack E. Jett
Great interview with the lady and Sandra Bernhard and probably the greatest TV host on the planet earth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Tkz8iskoHM
Darling Nikki
It’s like dealing with kids. The first thing out of their mouth is often what is possibly true, the more they try to justify or explain, the less true it is.
They threw her off for the kiss and now are revising as to not look so bad.
BOYCOTT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES.
Because then, instead of worrying about who’s zooming whom, they’ll have empty seats of solitude that cater to the “family” clientele.
And then they can have toddlers run amok with soiled diapers and what not.
Little Kiwi
uh….you tell me to not kiss my partner and i’ll tell you to Fuck Off as well.
“sorry, can you stop kissing your black boyfriend? it’s upsetting all the old white passengers who really miss the Good Old Days of Segregation”
NO.
the crustybastard
It is the airline’s position that if one of their employees provokes a passenger into using profanity, the profanity itself suddenly becomes the reasonable pretext for the employee to eject the passenger, while the provocation itself may safely be ignored?
Um, who’s in charge of Southwest Airline’s customer-relations training? Cops?
Dave
I do not believe her story that she was thrown off for just a PDA or kissing.
I’ve been kissing men in public and having a PDA with a male partner for decades in all sorts of places from rural towns, on busses, in airports, and yes on planes and I’ve never had any sort of stewardess or airline staff tell me to stop or leave the plane before or after we landed. I have also never had anyone tell me to stop, given me dirty looks or had them say anything to me or my male partners.
The more this professional lesbian tweets and tells her embellished side of the story the less I believe her and it all does sound like a publicity stunt on her part since she’s an actress, musician, and professional lesbian.
It does sound as though she was kicked off the plane not for kissing or a simple PDA but because she was fighting with airline staff but now she wants to lie and claim it was from kissing or a PDA but her little publicity stunt is full of holes and coming back to blow up in her face now.
Little Kiwi
Thing is, Dave, I’ve experienced the opposite of what you have. I’ve been “called-out” for holding hands with my boyfriend in some places. None of us knows the specific details of this incident, but many of us have experienced negative responses to PDA, no matter how chaste.
I’d say you’ve had a peachy existence if you’ve NEVER even received a “dirty-look” from someone for expressing affection with your boyfriend.
I’ve seen the looks, I’ve had complete strangers come up in my face and get very angry (thank YOU, Tennessee!) simply at the fact that my boyfriend and I had our arms around each other while walking.
I understand where you’re coming from – you’ve apparently never in your life experienced direct anti-gay bigotry from PDA with your partner. I have, and countless others have.
Sam Wheat
I believe Southwest should have given them a warning, like they would have someone with an unruly child. I’ve seen straight couples on a plane make out after a few drinks at the bar and were asked by the crew to stop. But regardless, you have to put this in perspective: As someone who lives and works in the film business, I know that but for a small handful, all actors are primadonnas. They truly believe they can get away with anything, and I doubt this broad is any different.
Little Kiwi
fact is, until more details come out (no pun intended) then it’s still We Said/They Said.
but it still speaks to something that i’m sure a lot of us are aware of. any “reminder” of our sexuality to people is considered a subversive attack on society.
it’s naturally accepted to thank ones opposite-sex partner in a speech. it’s still considered an act of social terrorism to mention one’s same-sex partner.
a straight couple having a kiss is fine. a gay couple having a kiss is “throwing their sexuality in people’s faces”
i hope we find out more about this particular incident – it could very well be “someone had too much champagne on the plane and went too far”. that doesnt’ change the sociological reality that LGBT people are held to an entirely different standard.
John
Who cares? Who cares? Who cares? Who cares? Who cares? Who cares? Theres no proof and until something shows up, NO ONE OF YOU should rush to judgement. Who is this chick? This is amazing for her “career” and now she’ll be getting press for at least a few weeks. Shes an actress and actresses are insane!
Don’t gay people have other things to worry about? I’m more offended by the queers eating ChikFilA then this boring story.
todd
I understand there are strong feelings either way about who is or is not at fault here. I am a flight attendant who tries to keep my cabin as boring as possible. When any complaints come in which disturb the boringness I look into them. If the passengers are a couple who are kissing or hugging then it’s no big deal to me and unless they’re going for second base I really don’t care. However, as an adult I will discuss the matter of kids being in the general seating area so as to introduce the idea that there is a limit to what should be done on the aircraft. If you tell me to f#ck off in the process you have now broken a law. Yes, a law. It is Federal Aviation Regulation 121.580 Prohibition on interference with crewmembers. It states,”No person may assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with a crewmember in the performance of the crewmember’s duties aboard an aircraft being under this part (121).” So if I have to stop my boarding duties because a passenger has complained about your kissing, hugging, et al and you choose to curse me out while I try discuss this with you I will take this as you trying to intimidate me. So if they swore at this flight attendant they may have done so in an offensive enough way for her to recommend they be removed so they would not be able to further disrupt her from performing her duties during the flight. I have crossed this situation in my own travels before. Nine times out of ten people will stop grabbing boobs, trying the blanket trick, or generaly holding a porn audition for all to see. Once again however, I did have a certain couple who were gay…like me…who decided on the way to Chicago Pride that they wanted to do whatever they wanted to because they felt they had the right to do it. And yes when I asked them to stop frenching and asking if one or other, “ooh liked it so bad daddy, touch it” they called me a homophobic redneck. I asked them to be adult and understand they were not alone and this was considered indecent by myself and pretty much everyone else who was around them. Long story short we were in the air and not going to divert for their rude antics. They continued to prove they were idiots for all to see for the rest of the flight. I will be honest I was ashamed of the horrible example they exhibited of how people should conduct themselves in public. If I had a kid I would have told them certain people in the world share love with each other but others try to share too much,…that being an example of way too much.
SteveC
But if a flight attendant told me that my modest kiss with my partner was inappropriate because the airline was a ‘family’ airline, then the flight attendant is clearly unqualified to do her job. And I’ll happily tell such an incompetent FA to f*** off, irrespective of whether that is illegal or not.
Then I’d tweet about it, and hope that a whole shitstorm of controversy erupts.
Little Kiwi
the thing is, todd, in society LGBT-affection of any kind is still all-too-often labeled as “excessive”.
i don’t think anyone would object to your telling two idiots to stop giving handjobs.
they’re, of course, utterly in the wrong.
but this story aside – GAY PDA is still considered “flaunting and throwing sexuality in people’s faces” which makes no sense.
intelligent minds get it – don’t suck cock and grab tits on a plane.
but we’re still in a world where hand-holding and even “elbow rubbing” (remember that bigoted Catholic lady’s rant about how she cant’ take her kids to a park because two lesbians hugged?) are considered “offensive attacks on public decency” if they’re done by a Queer couple.
if nothing else, i hope this story gets a real dialogue about THAT going.
Hyatt
Ugh, my wife and I are taking Southwest when we go visit her family for Christmas. Guess we better be extra careful to act like strangers–else someone might get offended that a couple icky lesbians had the audacity to be on the same flight as them.
Hyhybt
@Dave: If they’re asking you to leave before the plane lands, something is definitely wrong 🙂
The thing is, without knowing at *least* what, exactly, they were doing (and it would take video or a demonstration) then there is no way to tell one way or the other. Yes, it makes sense that people are more likely to complain about thte exact same PDA when between a same-sex couple. But it remains true that there are levels of PDA which would, quite rightly, cause complaints in that context even if the couple is straight. If, say, they were slobbering all over each other, making noise, groping with their hands under each others’ clothes, etc that would be oner the line.
And the thing is, there *are* gay (lesbian, etcO couples who would exaggerate their PDA specifically to see if they could provoke anyone into complaining. Or, a somewhat lesser version of the same, who would notice someone who seems uncomfortable with their minor PDA and decide to take it up a few notches to see what would happen.
As for what went on on this particular flight… well, it’s all a matter of degrees and shading (the PDA, the complaints, the flight attendant request, the arguing, whatever) and nobody really knows but those who were there.
Michael
@Dave: What world do you live in because the rest of us are living on this place called “Earth” which obviously is not part of your reality. Go Google the undercover segment ABC (???) did where two male actors were in public, showing affect and people called the cops on them. The police officer came and was about to arrest them for NOTHING when he got the call from his boss that he was being taped for TV segment. Well what do you know, all of a sudden them NOT breaking the law was find.
WTF?
the crustybastard
@todd: “…If you tell me to f#ck off in the process you have now broken a law. Yes, a law. It is Federal Aviation Regulation 121.580 Prohibition on interference with crewmembers….I will take this as you trying to intimidate me.”
Oh, fuck off. That law wasn’t written to protect your delicate sensibilities, Princess.
You have chosen a line of work where you deal with customers who are, more often than not, tired and irritated by the predictably shabby treatment meted out by your industry. That may include you. Occasionally an adult may use profanity. That is not terrorism or intimidation. It’s an expression of frustration.
Grow up and learn to manage your situation, sweetie. The rest of us don’t go to Defcon One and expel flight attendants from our places of work when you say naughty words or aren’t sufficiently deferential.
the crustybastard
@todd: “…If you tell me to f#ck off in the process you have now broken a law. Yes, a law. It is Federal Aviation Regulation 121.580 Prohibition on interference with crewmembers….I will take this as you trying to intimidate me.”
Oh, fuck off. That law doesn’t exist to protect your delicate sensibilities, princess.
You have chosen a line of work where you deal with customers who are, more often than not, tired and irritated by the predictably shabby treatment meted out by your industry. Occasionally an adult may use profanity. That is not terrorism or intimidation — it’s an expression of frustration.
Grow up and learn to manage your situation, sweetie. The rest of us don’t go to Defcon One and expel flight attendants from our places of business when you use naughty words or aren’t sufficiently deferential to the staff.
Chad
So just because this woman is a lesbian we’re all supposed to as GLBT people to blindly support her and act as though she’s a crusader for our rights or even a martyr?
Some F-list actress and a woman who’s not even her partner start drama and an argument with a flight attendant for a publicity stunt to self promote her career and shitty music.
No heroics here from her. She had an argument with the cabin crew or flight attendants, didn’t follow the rules and probably thought that she could have things her way just because she’s an actress.
Sometimes the GLBT community is its own worst enemy. There are way more important things for us to fight and worry about than some attention whore actress getting thrown off a plane not for actually kissing some woman or showing a PDA but for fighting with airline staff as a publicity stunt.
Mk_Ultra_Again
You can tell that Southwest has their PR trolls on here because they all toss around the same poorly constructed canned argument. It’s sad some of us think being treated with dignity and respect like any other human being is too much to ask. That we should back down from blatant discrimination, be shut up and shut out because, in their very skewed, self loathing, angry at other gays opinion we have bigger things to worry about.
I agree with them there. We do. Our biggest problem is them. These angry self hating gay men who love the lick the shit up off the floor of the very people who cause us the most harm.
They are worse than anti-gay republicans, the church-cult complex, the religious right.
Jim
Meanwhile there are GLBT people who are actually having way worse things happen to them than being thrown off a plane for starting an argument with airline staff.
Nothing to see here folks, just a talentless actress/musician trying to get attention to get her name in the headlines, and boost her album sales for her shitty band.
ewe
Southwest Airlines would never have told a kissing heterosexual couple that they were a family airline. And there are a helluva lot of damaged stupid people commenting here about the Airline being the victim. The airline is at fault.
Drew
Ewe-Actually yes they would. I have flown on a Southwest flight and there was a male/female couple a row ahead of me who were making out and they were told to stop and behave since they’re in public and yes that there were kids around.
Bil
Unless you were there and saw everything that happened it is stupid to pick any side solely based on what others have said.
ewe
@Drew: Typical. You would compare that to a peck on the cheek. Get a self help book. You are drowning in shame.
Mike
From a number of internet postings (various places), it appears that they might have been loud and foul-mouthed both in the airport lounge and on the plane and started a fight or argument with the airline staff.
And, if that is the case, then THEY not the airline, should be apologising.
ewe
@Mike: Being loud and foul mouthed is not a crime and more importantly is the fact that the customer is to be served by the flight attendant not the other fucking way around. I can will and have every right to tell anyone to fuck off for telling me not to kiss someone i love. You have the right to turn that around and make your sexual orientation secondary even though it was the impetus for this whole debacle. Homosexuality is not the big white elephant in the room for healthy people. Only dysfunctional fucks who think that they are superior and think that their approval of others is necessary and think that they can say because they got yelled at then the fact they discriminated against a minority first should not matter.
ewe
@Mike: It was not about yelling. Southwest flat out admitted that it they initially approached “SOLELY ON BEHAVIOR” because other passengers found their lady kissing “EXCESSIVE.” Some of you commenters have major low self esteem issues.
ewe
@Mike: So the question is what is always was. What is “EXCESSIVE?” Show me the arrests of heterosexuals for excessively kissing. I doubt those are even the facts either. They saw a gay couple and freaked out. Because they freaked out the gay couple put those motherfuckers in their place. It then became about ego and the Airline staff abused their authority and had them arrested. In this day and age the airlines do it all the fucking time for whatever fucking reason they fucking want to and just call you a potential terrorist.
ewe
My bad. Oh i always wanted to say that. I mean booted off the airline not arrested. lol. I have been discriminated against and arrested in the past for being gay so i got a bit excited there. Brought it all back for a moment. whew. ok. i am calm again.