It seems that not all the stewardesses, air hostesses flight attendants out there are as perky and accommodating as the lovely ladies on ABC’s Pan Am.
The L Word actress Leisha Hailey tweeted late Monday on @Leisha_Hailey that she and her girlfriend, fashion designer Nina Garduno, were thrown off a Southwest Airlines flight for kissing. “I have been discriminated against by @SouthwestAir Flt. attendant said that it was a ‘family’ airline and kissing was not ok.”
“This is an outrage,” Hailey continued. “I demand a public apology by @SouthwestAir and a refund. Hate is not a family value. I will never fly this airline. We were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue. @SouthwestAir endorses homophobic employees. No one made her accountable.”
Apparently, Hailey (who is also a musician in the band Uh Huh Her) and Garduno were escorted off the plane after they became upset by the flight attendant’s comments about their PDA. Hailey indicated she recorded audio and video of much of the altercation and asked her nearly 12,000 Twitter followers to boycott Southwest.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
A Southwest rep quickly tweeted back asking Hailey to get in touch with them privately: “I’m so sorry! Can you please follow/DM [direct message] me more details so we can get to the bottom of this? Thanks!”
Later, Southwest posted a response on its blog:
“Initial reports indicate that we received several passenger complaints characterizing the behavior as excessive. Our crew, responsible for the comfort of all Customers on board, approached the passengers based solely on behavior and not gender. The conversation escalated to a level that was better resolved on the ground, as opposed to in flight. We regret any circumstance where a passenger does not have a positive experience on Southwest and we are ready to work directly with the passengers involved to offer our heartfelt apologies for falling short of their expectations.”
This isn’t the first time Southwest has ousted a celebrity passenger—Billy Joe Armstrong was removed from a flight earlier this month for wearing saggy pants and Kevin Smith was blocked from boarding a Southwest flight in February because he was too overweight.
Hmm, both Smith and Armstrong are notably pro-gay. Is this part of some bigger issue? The airline received a score of 95 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2011 Corporate Equality Index and is the official airline of The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA) and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). But it was just three months ago that a Southwest pilot unleashed an anti-gay rant over his cockpit microphone.
Either way we sense some turbulence ahead.
Image via UhHuhHer.com, Clea DuVall
Scott Rose
Here’s how you know this was a bias incident. The couple was not hauled off the plane because of whatever kissing they were doing. They were hauled off because they got angry that the flight attendants told them to stop doing what a heterosexual couple would be able to do with no problem. Think of it this way — the cabin of a commercial flight is *always* watched by the attendants and/or other employees. If they aren’t actually in the cabin walking back and forth, they are in some corner where security cameras show everything that is going on. Yet, is was not the flight attendants who determined that the couple was doing something not permitted on the plane. It was busybody gay-bashing customers, who thought the “kissing” was “excessive,” (only because the couple is lesbian, not hetero)and complained about it. I’ve sat next to and/or near screaming crying hollering babies that shit their diapers and barf but I don’t get to complain that the behavior is “excessive.” What does “excessive” mean, in the context of a lesbian couple kissing? Were they fondling each other’s exposed breasts? No. Southwest Airlines should make a public release informing all customers that whatever a heterosexual couple may do on one of their planes, a homosexual couple also may do. Boycott that gay-basher-enabling airline until they make a public statement like that.
Carl
Seems that Southwest has a thing against LGBT people or those who support us: a lesbian actress/singer, a bisexual male singer and a straight film maker who supports equal human rights are all kicked off flights and staff get away with public anti-gay rants? This is getting a bit suspicious, to say the least.
Rob
Carl who was the bisexual musician that was kicked off? Was it Michael Stipe?
Dan Cobb
Of course Southwest is homophonic… they’re out of Dallas, TEXAS, aren’t they?!
Peter
@Rob:
He was referring to Billy Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day, who was kicked off for ‘saggy pants’ as mentioned in the article
jj
Actually, I would be fine with this as long as the airlines also removed heterosexuals for the same reason and for their children screaming non-stop with impunity. Do that airlines, and you’ll hear no complaint from me.
Pete
This bitch is quick to blame homophobia, when the real culprit was her own personal behavior!
Sounds like the former “They’re all against me because I’m black” strategy adopted by gays. I believe nothing of what she says; she trying to deflect criticism by blaming the airline.
Just because someone claims that she was booted for merely kissing her girlfriend, we should all take up a crusade against an airline without knowing all of the facts? Sometimes gays are as stupid as evangelicals in automatically assuming something happened and taking immediate offense and jumping to conclusions.Let’s hear all of the facts first.
*Yawn* Typically politically correct dykes who act as though they’re SOOOOOO “oppressed” because they get thrown off a plane but the staff would have told any couple of any orientation and gender(s) to stop making out and control themselves but it was all a publicity stunt for their shitty music.
I have been on Southwest airlines before and a man and a woman were making out and asked to stop and they didn’t and were removed from the flight.
I read other news articles about this woman and apparently they were doing more than just a kiss on the mouth or cheek or a light PDA and they caused a fight with airline staff and were then kicked off the plane.
the crustybastard
@Pete:
So it’s ridiculous for gay people to “jump to the conclusion” that Hailey and her girlfriend were actually discriminated against, but it’s perfectly reasonable for YOU to jump to the conclusion that she is engaging in a publicity stunt?
Okey-dokey.
FreddyMertz
I don’t like any kind of PDA…unless it’s about closing time at the bar and the beer goggles are on..and even then I’m getting a room.
Mr. Enemabag Jones
@Pete:
Pete, I wish I was a Southwest attendant, and you were a passenger, so I could throw you off the plane–at 30,000 feet.
mattsy
Lets throw Dave(commenter#3)off too
Leishas been around forever and has talent
calling her a cunt is not nice
ewe
I do not ever recall the many heterosexuals i think were newlyweds off on their honeymoon kicked off a plane for the crass face sucking and crotch rubbing going on so much one would have thought they were fornicating in the seats. As a matter of fact they would get smiles and silent applause for being just married. I WILL NEVER FLY SOUTHWEST AIRLINES.
ewe
@Pete: You are the bitch and you do not believe what is being said because you yourself are not black and/or gay. Openly gay that is. Something did happen you asshole. If these people were heterosexual they would have said “oh excuse me what kind of drink would you like?” Got it you stupid shitcake? Now go take your freagin dump in a toilet that is your own space and stop contributing to the persecution of LGBT people.
ewe
@Dave: Heterosexuals routinely book on your family friendly airline and suck face without notice. why is that you pig turd?
ewe
I now put Southwest Airlines on the same list as Macys Target and Bolthouse Juices to name just a few that i never buy from and will not ever forget.
Michael
@Dave:
Wow aren’t you a ray of sunshine? * rolls eyes*
Why don’t you look at the evidence? Look at all the other people who were kicked off and please do not tell me you believe that excessive bs they claimed happened? Its obvious what happened these 2 women were just kissing and showing each other affection.Some angry intolerant insecure bigots got uncomfortable and complained about it and that set everything into motion.
Unbelievable that you blame the 2 women who were kicked off and yet you do not hold the flight attendants or the airline responsible? Absolutely hypocritical of you.
ewe
Until Southwest Airlines publicly comes out and says that sexual orientation is none of their business, sexual orientation is not an issue and all the fault lies at the feet of Southwest employees they can go fuck themselves. Boycott.
Shannon1981
Boycott definitely in order. This is outrageous, and the airline, with their track record, is clearly condoning bias. If this had been a straight couple, nothing would have been said at all.
ewe
Note to Southwest Airlines: Just furnish the media with exactly how many heterosexual couples your employees escorted off the plane and we can all take it from there.
Darling Nikki
What does Leisha’s talent have to do with this?
She was taken off for most likely kissing or holding her girlfriend’s hand, There is so much space for what one can do in a Southwest Coach seat! Unless she was fingerbanging her girlfriend, this is discrimination.
BOYCOTT SOUTHWEST.
Shannon1981
And for the two douchebags in here blaming Leisha Hailey and her girlfriend for doing what any heterosexual couple could do without incident, shame on you!
Little Kiwi
as much as people want to disregard it, PDA is indeed a part of The Movement.
the only way people are going to stop freaking out about seeing LGBT couples being affectionate in public is for them to see it regularly.
shame on Southwest. I’d like to hear more specific facts about the incident, but i’ve been around long enough to know that all a queer couple need to do is embrace and kiss and suddenly we’re accused of Subverting the American Family and attacking society, or some shit like that.
Chris
These days if a an airline tells you to stop doing something, or do something, and you don’t do as they say, you get kicked off.
Based on the published reports, Leisha and her gf were kicked off for arguing with the flight attendant(s) after they were asked to stop, not because they were spotted kissing.
ewe
@Chris: They should never have been asked. Just show us the roster of straight people who went through the exact same thing and the conversation can take another turn. Until then STFU.
ewe
@Chris: Pride For Sale. http://images.wikia.com/peanuts/images/4/49/Lucy-van-pelt-1-.jpg
ewe
@Chris: Southwest says they apologize for not meeting customer expectation. In this case the expectation is Equality.
Drew
This story is starting to get funny and full of holes. She was traveling with someone named Sara and tweeted about kissing this person. But now she says she wasn’t. Make up your mind!
I’ve also read articles about this story where they interviewed people on the flight and they said how they were not just having a modest kiss, holding hands, or having a minor PDA but they were kicked off for arguing with flight staff and making a scene.
James
All badly staged for the publicity now it’s blowing up in her ugly face.
ewe
@Drew: so fucking what. They were harrassed and discriminated against. They have every right to be screaming four fucking letter words at the persecutors. You and others make it seem like it was the flight attendant being verbally attacked for no reason at all. The reason is the flight attendant is a homophobe and abused their authority and acted unprofessional with people that the flight attendant deemed a target. Stay on topic. Stay focused and stop turning things around to suit your own complacency. This is not about Leisha Hailey getting up in the morning to curse out a flight attendant.
ewe
@Drew: Next time some nut comes after you with a knife don’t react with anger. Just stay calm and say nothing cause it’s all your fault anyway. Right? That is what you seem to be saying.
ewe
@James: Where is your evidence shithole? Excuse me. I mean “ugly face.”
Carl
@Rob: Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day – openly bisexual.
Carl
@Rob: Also, I should clarify I wasn’t stating that he was kicked off for his sexuality, just it seems very odd that people who are openly LGBT or support our rights are getting kicked off their flights so often. I’m afraid I didn’t make that clear in my original comment, I’d just come off a night shift. My bad 🙂
And “saggy pants” is about as lame a reason as I have ever heard for kicking someone off a flight. The whole situation rings alarm bells for me and makes me wonder how many of these ‘reasons’ are simply covers for homophobic staff. Saggy pants? Kissing? Seriously, it’s a questionable series of events that is coming to light.
Andara
Hailey claims to have video and audio footage of the incident. Why hasn’t it been shared? Why does she even mention it if she’s not going to use it to prove her side?
Everybody (except sensationalist headlines) agrees that she and her girlfriend were removed from the flight because she became verbally abusive to the flight attendant. Which is the SAME reason that Armstrong was removed. In her case, she was so loud and aggressive that at least one group of people changed seats to get away from it.
Until more people who actually witnessed the event come forward to say what really happened prior to the her going off on the attendant anyone who makes a judgment either way is jumping the gun. And the immediate cries of homophobia are out of place and a disservice to all who truly suffer for their orientation. In a week where yet another child has committed suicide for being bullied for his orientation, our headlines are swamped with a well-connected actress’ tantrum. THIS is where the ourtage should be directed – that so many will rush to the defense of a spoiled adult throwing a tantrum, while at the same time have likely never even heard the name Jamey Rodemeyer.
ewe
@Andara: you are full of shit and insulting. You would not dare say what you are saying if the victim was discriminated because of race. You and Southwest Airlines would never turn it around and say well “note to selves: We did not kick off black people who we said can’t kiss because we are a family values airline. They got kicked off for yelling at us in response to that.” FUCK YOU CUNT
ewe
@Andara: I guess you think the maid in New York just couldn’t control her natural hormonal urges for that hot sexy stud Dominique Strauss-Kahn and had to rip her clothes off on duty just to get a taste of him. It’s all her fault too. You pig. I would spit in your face if you were in front of me.
who cares
For all you gays and lesbos that are boycotting Southwest, thank you so much, that way I dont have to see your fucking faces. Haha, stay the fuck off my plane, now flag this comment.