I haven’t flown Southwest Airlines in over 10 years, since most of my flights are international, not domestic. The one time I did fly with them they seriously bugged me. I hated the free for all seating arrangements, I didn’t like the joking informal flight attendants because it seemed unprofessional, and I remember complaining to a friend about it at the time. Flying sucks in general though, and while I doubt that other airlines are much better it does seem that people have more problems with Southwest. We just heard that the dude from Green Day, Billie Joe Armstrong, got kicked off a Southwest Flight for not pulling his saggy pants up. And Southwest is the airline that booted director Kevin Smith from a flight that was overbooked, and then tried to make it sound like he was too fat to fly when that wasn’t the case.
So now we’re hearing that Leisha Hailey, who starred on The L Word, got kicked off a Southwest flight for kissing her girlfriend. Hailey tweeted that she got booted off the plane for being gay and is calling for a boycott of Southwest. Meanwhile Southwest issued a statement that she was showing “excessive” PDA and that other passengers were complaining.
The L Word actress Leisha Hailey says she was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight after kissing her girlfriend.
In a series of tweets Monday, Hailey wrote that she and fashion designer Nina Garduno, who have been together since 2006, “were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue.”
“I have been discriminated against by @SouthwestAir,” she tweeted. “Flt. attendant said that it was a ‘family’ airline and kissing was not ok.”
“This is an outrage,” she added. “I demand a public apology by @SouthwestAir and a refund. Hate is not a family value. I will never fly this airline.”
She continued: “We were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue. @SouthwestAir endorses homophobic employees. No one made her accountable.”
The Uh Huh Her twitter feed — of which Hailey, also a musician, is a member — also posted a series of tweets about the incident. One noted that the couple “joined the ranks” of Kevin Smith and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, both of whom were previously kicked off SWA flights. In February 2010, Smith claimed he was kicked off for being too large to fit in a single seat, while Armstrong earlier this month tweeted that he was escorted off the aircraft for wearing sagging pants.
“We didn’t know intolerance and discrimination for slouchy pants, being overweight or being gay was part of your family values,” an Uh Huh Her tweet read.
Meanwhile, a SWA rep did reach out to Hailey via Uh Huh Her’s Twitter account.
“I’m so sorry!” read a tweet from SWA’s account. “Can you please follow/DM [direct message] me more details so we can get to the bottom of this? Thanks!”
SWA later tweeted this statement, which did not mention Hailey by name: “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.”
[From Hollywood Reporter]
It’s hard to tell exactly what happened. The airline would have us believe that Hailey and her girlfriend were making out and that everyone complained about it. The airline’s statement insinuates that the couple got worked up about being asked to stop and were arguing with the crew about it, so they got escorted off the flight. Hailey’s version is that she was just kissing her girlfriend, that a homophobic stewardess targeted them, and that they were treated unfairly. After reading Hailey’s tweets about it in order, she makes a strong case. The part that convinced me is that the stewardess said they were a “family” airline. Who knows what they were doing and how they reacted though. They could have been making out heavily for all we know. Just to reiterate, I hate flying.
Oh and Hailey tweeted a link to this page where Southwest tries to establish that they’re fabulous and gay friendly. This is their actual header graphic.
let’s boycott them!
I don’t want to see ANYONE making out on an airplane.
I’m going to side with the airlines on this. If it were my business I wouldn’t want excessive pda or your pants falling down. I’m tired of people thinking they can do what ever they want where ever they are. Show some class and pull up your pants and stop pda.
Any business should have the right to refuse service to anyone just like you can refuse to use their services.
“Excessive” PDA, to me, means some under the shirt in the pants action, which, could be disturbing for kids, regardless of sexual orientation. For SWA, it was a majority wins type situation.
I have to wonder whether Southwest is always in the news for incidents like this because it’s a discriminatory company, or because it’s so popular (read: inexpensive in today’s economy) and hence a microcosm of how the majority still acts toward the “other”…
That said, as a bisexual woman I can still see both sides of this issue. Simply because I wouldn’t want to see a straight couple making out on a plane, either. But the remarks the stewardess allegedly made — about it being a “family” airline — are obviously out of line considering the “family values” agenda being pushed by people who are against any family that doesn’t look exactly like theirs. And I definitely understand Leisha getting upset over such a statement. It’s hard not to be overly sensitive when most of the time, comments like those are exactly what they look like: bigotry.
“Was L Word star Leisha Hailey kicked off Southwest airlines for kissing her girlfriend?”
No, she says, ““We were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue. ”
But to the more important issue. Her behavior was outrageous and I’m glad she was removed from the plane. Nobody wants to see a couple making out on a plane. Get a room! Then, when told of the rules she acted like an entitled rude fool. Now she’s playing the gay card. She ought to be ashamed of herself.
Hopefully the airline targeted them because they have no respect for the other passengers, not because they are lesbians. I would be pissed if it was 2 women, a man and woman, or 2 men making out and heavy petting on my flight.
@HappyMom
Agreed. I don’t care who you are, I don’t want to see you making out when I’m stuck on a plan with you.
It feels like she’s pulling the anti-gay card, and I don’t respect that.
Thanks for writing about this.
I have mixed thoughts, but am leaning towards the airline. I am thinking this is more of a pda issue than anything else, and that they would ask anyone to stop kissing. I find it hard to believe that a few kisses would bring such about an event, so it must have been more than that, which is inappropriate in public.
Yes, I am assuming here and the airline could be totally at fault.
Personally, I would not want to be waiting on a flight while people argued about how much kissing is too much kissing, so taking it off the plane seems fair to everyone.
Why would you need to kiss on a plane beyond a peck anyway? or anywhere is public, for that matter?
Since I wasn’t there and I did not see what actually happened I will abstain from taking sides. What I do know is that air travel is no Calgon and in the last decade you DO NOT get into an argument with either ground staff or flight crew.
No making out on airlines. I don’t care what your sexual orientation is.
I’ve had to suffer through PDA issues on flights. I once sat across from a heterosexual couple who were doing something really naughty under a blanket on a night flight to the UK – I think she was giving him a hand job – the flight attendant came by and whispered something discreetly to them and they knocked it off. Point is, excessive PDA in a cramped atmosphere like a plane by anyone, gay or straight, is vulgar and socially unacceptable. It could be that Leisha and her partner were beyond just sharing a chaste kiss to get A) complained about and B) kicked off for then getting mouthy. But I’ll wait for the details before jumping to conclusions.
I have a suspicion that they weren’t making out in the inappropriate sense but that someone deemed any affection displayed between two people of the same gender as ‘excessive’. The reason I think that is that if any reasonable person, gay or straight, was going to town with their partner and was asked to stop, they would realize that ‘yeah, maybe this isn’t the best place to do this’. The fact that they got upset by the request implies that their actions were simple affection and appropriate for the setting, nothing worthy of a OMG STOP WON’T YOU THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!
You can be gay as long no one else can see that you are.
Southwest are jerks.
@CinemaNostalgia: That is what got them kicked off the plane. You can’t be giving the crew a hard time over ANYTHING, even if they are the ones who are wrong. Your ass will get tossed.
I wonder exactly what happened. Are we talking about a kiss, like a quick kiss? So if I give a quick kiss to my husband on the plane, we will get kicked off? If we were dry humping, then I would totally expect to be kicked off.
And the alleged statement of the flight attendant: a “family” airline? Do gay peeps not have families, too? Would a gay couple traveling with their young children approve of excessive PDA by anyone, gay or straight? Can we just find out EXACTLY what happened? I doubt we will ever really know.
I don’t care what people do in their private lives but I do wish that people would be more considerate of the good of the collective, especially children. For instance, when adults make out during daytime hours in public places in front of children, well, how is this a good thing? And when it is a same-sex couple kissing, then it becomes one more thing for my four year old to badger me with questions over. Can we confine public displays of affection to clubs, parties, and bars please?
Im with Nina (13) on this one
I am sick of PDA – the city I live in is generally very liberal and believe me when I say I have seen the most disgusting outlandish public displays of affection (between gays/between straights/of all ages)on the public transit system so I am inclined to believe this article and I say good for the airlines – its time that people started respecting boundaries of society again when in public – I dont care what they do at home but in public is different.
OK – start throwing the tomatoes at me.
The “family airline” might not have been in reference to them being gay, but to the fact that they were doing things that they shouldn’t be doing in front of kids.
If it was a peck, then it’s fine by me, but if you’re talking about a kissing session, or frenching, or groping of any kind, I’d say knock it off. Give eachother a quick kiss whether your gay, or straight but leave it at that. Hell, cuddle all you want, but I don’t want to see people groping or making out in front of me.
ESPECIALLY when I’m trapped on a flight with you.
Im with SW on this. I dont want to see anyone making out on a plane. I dont care if its a gay or strait couple. The other passengers were obviously complaining so they addressed the situation. What ever happened to showing some common courtesy to those around you? I think SW does a great job of trying to keep all passengers happy. Would it really have killed them to just cool it until their plane landed? Only an attention seeking drama queen would make such a stink about this, it actually makes me like SW that much more.
This whole thing reeks publicity stunt for this drama queen/”actress”. I never heard of her as most havent. Theres a time and a place for everything. Having a heavy make out session on a public plain isnt the place for that, regardless of your sexual orientation.
Such an intimate setting for Strong PDA sessions whether you are are hetero or gay. It is not the place for it. Don’t throw the discrimination card on this one it belittles the cause.
I agree with Erinn. I think that by saying they are a “family” airline, they mean that they have families with children on board. As a parent I don’t want my kids exposed to anyone making out or dry humping regardless of their sexual orientation. I can only assume that gay parents wouldn’t want their kids exposed to those types of activities either. I have in fact called couples out on it, and have gotten negative feedback from both gay and straight couples. I think that people that don’t have the common courtesy to not behave like that in public aren’t going to accept that they are in the wrong.
I think that assuming that the “family airline” comment was a bash against the gay community is a reach and it’s unfair. As a parent you might accept your child/ren being exposed to certain things, but other parents may not.
@SkyNet
Exactly. When I first read the family airline thing I didn’t automatically jump to the gay thing. I thought “Oh, kids shouldn’t see people making out. Good job SW”.
@ Nina and Brittney
Is it possible that you are misinterpreting what Southwest means by “family” airline?
I’m thinking they mean that children are often on board so NO ONE should be making out or showing excessive PDA on an airplane; and it has nothing to do with their orientation.
I’m straight and I hate seeing heterosexual people make out in public. I think it’s gross.
Publicity stunt.
I have seen straight couples practically having intercourse on airplanes and no one said a thing to them. Since when is flying a “family” activity. Uh, ever hear of the Mile High Club? How ’bout if everyone just minds their own damn business, in the air and on the ground. If I’m gonna complain about anything on a plane, it’s the jerk who refuses to power down his electronic device after being told 10 times to do it. How come THAT guy never gets kicked off the plane?
Flying is a family activity because families fly. They travel together.
The mile high club, from my understanding, is at least done in the bathroom, out of the view of children.
I’m calling publicity stunt. SW has been in the news a lot lately, The L Word is cancelled and what a great way to stay in the public eye.
Gay/Lesbians must take so much crap about PDA that I can’t believe two women think kissing/making out on a plane isn’t going to get anyone’s attention. If people don’t like it on the ground, they won’t like it in the air either.
I don’t like PDA, well, except for the time husband and I were in a very empty movie theatre . . . .
I used to be a flight attendant. You don’t know the HALF of what I dealt with. I actually had a woman HAND ME her child who had a poop-filled diaper and told me to “take care of it”; but I digress.
I had a man who was letting his toddler crawl ALL over the plane’s floor. He thought it was adorable… the other passengers did not. Plus, it was disgusting when you think of how many germs/disgusting things can get on the floor on a short-haul aircraft. I had to ask him THREE times to stop letting his child crawl around the aircraft – each time citing the child’s safety. He finally restrained the child – only to tell me I was “anti-family.”
I also had a passenger – a sweet older man – who was whistling a miscellaneous tune throughout the flight. I couldn’t hear it; but the passengers for three our four rows/seats around him could. They discreetly asked me if I could ask him to stop. I did. I was very polite because I’ve always been the type who respects my elders. He told me to EFF OFF.
I can understand a flight attendant using “it’s a family airline” as a reason to stop the pda — and it has *nothing* to do with sexuality. You’ve (as a f/a) have to make sure 200 people are happy and safe. You have to use words that will get through to the passenger but not offend. Everything you say has to be PC so as not to offend yet do your job. And if they get argumentative (esp after 9/11) they are OFF the plane.
One time as we were boarding the plane, a man had his “lap child” (a child who must remain in the parent’s lap the entire flight) buckled in with him. You can’t do this for safety reasons (if the plane were to crash or have an impact of any kind, the weight of the adult could crush the child between the adult and seatbelt). Now, I can’t *tell* the parent that as it could freak them out. Plus, “lap kids” are of varying ages – I’m not going to freak THEM out! So, I told the gentlemen it was policy and yadda yadda yadda. He started getting quite upset and got his kid to crying and started upsetting other passengers. That was it. If he’s THIS way on the ground, what’s he going to be like in the air where I have less resources to deal with a hostile situation? I told the captain. Security was called and he was escorted off the plane. I felt the awful for the child.
My (long-winded) two cents.
I’m sitting this one out until any witnesses come forward, and they will!
A simple kiss is not PDA. If that was the case and then complained about by fellow passengers, I would not be surprised. (On 911, three non Caucasian people of differing ethnicity were detained for hours, strip searched, and not allowed to call anyone, based only on passengers complaining they were suspicious because they talked to each other!)
If there is more to this story than a basic kiss, then I side firmly with the airline. No one wants to see making out on a crowded stuffy plane.
I also think there is more to this story than just “a kiss”. And yes, I agree that Leisha is totally playing the gay card about being tossed.
I can’t believe most people on here agree with the airlines, how is it causing you any pain or anguish that you or *gasp* your children might see someone in baggy pants or might see a couple kissing? To be removed from a flight for that or for asking them why you have to stop what you are doing is ridiculous. Maybe they should let the people that have a problem with others not being their carbon copy off the plane.
My questions were hypothetical, people. I was trying to think of all angles, not to advocate crazy behavior on a plane or anywhere else. I still don’t think we will truly find out the real story- and that was my whole point.
How do so many posters know Leisha and her GF were “making out”? How do you know they weren’t just snuggling a bit and kissed once or twice? I have seen enough kneejerk homophobia to want to hear what happened first.
My mother, who looks very young, and I were in a furniture store about ten years ago. She was looking for a new couch, and we were trying them out. We sat on a loveseat, and my Mom said,”Wouldn’t this be cozy to sit and watch TV?” I noticed the salesman trailing blanch and scurry away. After that, no one would come near us, and when my Mother went to get someone, they gave her nasty looks and walked away. I told her, “They think we’re a couple.” They lost a customer and a 2k sale that day.
My point? Homophobes get pissed at anything that isn’t “normal” ie heterosexual.
I want to know what LH and her GF were doing.
@Nina #13
100% agree.
I’m with the airline too unless, like has been pointed out by many others, this was just a kiss. Flying is a communal activity, no one wants to see makeout sessions. It’s got nothing to do with orientation. It has to do with politeness. I am inclined to think she’s the problem because she’s yelling so loudly about this. A normal person would evaluate their own behavior- maybe I did something to escalate the situation- instead of blame, blame, blame. Celebrities are pretty used to not following the rules the rest of us have to follow.
I agree with the airlines. I was in a Target once where two females were making out in a big way in front of me in line. They were licking each others face, smacking loud french kissing, and one of the girls was rubbing the boobs of the other girl. I looked around at the other people in the store and they were averting their eyes. Even the clerk was avoiding the issue. Everyone was so afraid to call them on it and being called homophobic…
Get a room and get over yourself.
@Seal Team
There are a lot of us that didn’t say that they DEFINITELY were making out. By the sounds of the story, it SEEMS like there was more than a peck to cause someone to complain. Maybe we’re wrong, but it seems outlandish to think someone would complain that someone had a single, or even spaced out short kisses.
@nikki
I don’t expect people to be a carbon copy of myself, I expect people to have some decorum in a public situation. I don’t think it’s a matter of poor taste if they shared a brief kiss. I don’t think it’s poor taste if they want to snuggle up. BUT if they were making out, or feeling each other up then it’s just not respectful of the people around them, whether the couple is gay or straight. Assuming the attendant spoke to them politely, and they got rude with her I agree with the airlines for booting them. I don’t want to be stuck next to someone who will cause a scene (whether it is for making out or for abusing the attendants) for however many hours my flight is.
IF they weren’t doing anything wrong, and were being targeted for being homosexuals and they responded to the attendant politely, they will fight it, and I fully support that.
So baggy pants, being overweight, and kissing are reason enough to be escorted off a plane, can I complain about passengers beside me releasing their gas every 10 minutes, count enough for them to get escorted as well? How about parents who allow rampaged children scream, kick, and run down the aisle, while the parents not act on being strict?
Eitherway, the flight quality has gone down rapidly. Especially with the TSA.
Erinn —
People who are homophobic will complain about any little thing they perceive as “not normal.” Same sex couples have been publicly berated for just holding hands or calling one another a pet name. If they were making out, that’s one thing, but I’m waiting to see what Leisha said she recorded. And, I have also seen interracial couples targeted in this way. Despicable.
The Jewsish-Arab American young woman who was escorted at gunpoint off a plane and detained for HOURS in a cell did literally nothing, except have the bad luck to be seated in a row with two Indian men who did nothing, either.
People are jerks, and having worked alot of customer service in my life, a appallingly large percentage of the American public are liars.
Leisha’s official response to Southwest’s comments on the incident:
http://www.msopr.com/press-releases/uh-huh-her-camila-grey-and-leisha-hailey-respond-to-southwest-airlines-incident/
Oh God. That header is so bad! Why is nobody commenting on the awfulness of it?
In all seriousness, since everyone is speculating whether they crossed a line or not (and I imagine that line is different for each person), they should post a photo recreating whatever they were doing. If the debate is whether it was acceptable and decent for public behaviour, show the public what it actually was and get an answer. Then we can stop speculating as to whether it was too much or not.
@43
I admit to not being the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I fail to see what is so awful about the header? can you clarify?
How can any of you take sides? We don’t know all of the facts yet. What exactly is excessive pda (a smooch, holding hands, leaning your head on your partner’s shoulder, hugging). We have no facts. Let’s not jump to conclusions.
I hope it wasn’t hate. If hate was involved, f*ck SWA.
I’m reserving judgement on this one since I wasn’t there and it seems it is is a she said/the airline said type situation.
One thing to note is that some people tend to have a much lower tolerance for gay PDA than straight PDA. Where a 2 second kiss between a man/woman couple isn’t even looked at sideways, many times that same type of kiss with a gay couple isn’t tolerated nearly as well and frankly makes many people uncomfortable. And of course how upset the couple in question became when they were confronted is another issue entirely and if they became really upset, I know airlines don’t play that shit and will take you off the flight to discuss things on the ground rather than risk a confrontation in the air.
Like I said, I wasn’t there so I don’t know.
I dont want to see anyone making out with their partner in public. PDA is tacky. A hug or peck ok but tongue (its says several passengers said it was excessive so i assume way more than a peck) – get some class!
in america most states don’t allow gay marriage, there are no federal rights, and there are still so many states that have those horrid “defense of marriage” laws where the very name suggests that gay unions are some filthy polluting thing seeking to drag Ye Holy Marriage down.
That’s the cultural context and yet here I see the knee-jerk reaction from so many commentators is to ASSUME that the women were dry humping each other?
Given the cultural climate why aren’t there more people assuming that homophobia is at work here?
Edit: I see Seal Team 6 posted the ladies’ official statement. Thank you, Seal Team 6.
And again I ask, given the homophobic culture of this country, which is only changing very slowly and very piecemeal… why are so many assuming the ladies were at fault?
That just perpetuates the homophobia by blaming the victim.
“family airline” can also just mean, “please don’t make out on the plane.”
@Skeptical
You’re welcome.
And, I agree with your post 100%.
No one needs to be making out on a plane. No one. Gay/straight/bi/or confused.
Keep your tongue in your own mouth. Your hands off all private parts–your own or others. Pull your pants up.
And if you are fat enough to spill over to my seat, then by a 2nd one.
I too am sick and tired of the entitled tacky, and classless in public settings.
I definitely can’t make a call on this one without having witnessed it first hand. PDA in general tends to annoy me if it’s even the least bit excessive, but my opinion on this one will still depend on exactly WHAT the nature of the PDA was. If the kissing was just like closed mouth pecks while whispering sweet nothings, then it would probably result in me rolling my eyes (regardless of the nature of the couple, hetero or gay) … BUT I definitely don’t think that warrants them being told to STOP.
On the other hand, if we’re talking open-mouthed making out with tongues and all that, then YES, that is disgusting to do in public whether you are a straight couple or gay couple or even just some crazy pet owner letting your dog lick your face to a disturbing level (which I think we’ve all seen every now and then too). 😛
Hey, Towleroad is reporting a reaction from Southwest saying that the ladies got kicked off for foul language. Check it here:
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/09/l-word-actress-leisha-hailey-releases-statement-on-ejection-from-southwest-flight-over-kissing-girlf.html
the real story is finally coming out. she and her GF got really nasty and loud in the presence of children with offensive and foul language so they were asked to leave the plane. Good move on the airline’s part. After 9/11, you are not allowed to pull stunts like this.
My grandma, before her passing, gave me this pearl of wisdom: “If you want respect, act respectably.”
What is with people that think they can just do anything they want, anywhere and if you have a problem with it, you should just put up with it? Having to resort to blaming everyone else for being too sensitive is the first sign that you are out of line.
Since 9/11 anybody arguing with flight attendants is just an idiot. There is zero tolerance. As for the kissing/makingout, I don’t want to see anybody doing it, it’s an airplane not a hotel room.
See, what does kiss really mean here?
Was she making out or was it a peck?
If there are kids on board and two people are making out, then it doesn’t matter to me if they’re gay or straight, they need to get a frigging room and stop being so insecure (so as to be exhibitionists).
Personally, I’m tired of gay people (women or men) playing tongue hockey so they can intentionally rile up other people.
It happened to me on a public bus recently, two hipster looking dudes making out in front of two elderly passengers, during peak our, just so they can feel like they’ve made some social stand.
Meh.
It becomes old, and annoying over time, not to mention ridiculous when you don’t even see heteros doing it.
Adults who are secure in their sexual relationships don’t need to make out in public in their forties. That type of behaviour is for insecure teens and twentysomethings.
Team Nina.
And for the record, I would rather my children had to watch a couple make out than have to breathe the stench of strong perfume for 6000 miles. On one flight, somebody puked in a seat on the flight before ours…none of the “crew” could bother cleaning it up when that flight got off and before we got on, so we got to enjoy the stench of puke AND the stench of perfume people sprayed to cover up the puke smell from Newark to San Juan. Give me some quiet, scent-free dry-humpers any day of the effing week.
I’m typically inclined to side with the airline, in that
excessive PDA needn’t be tolerated BUT and it’s a big BUT in the past they’ve proven to be SOOO intolerant of low riding pants and larger passengers. SWA hasn’t built allot of trust and or sound judgement related to these judgement calls. It seems as though they’re comfortable making these discriminatory calls til they discover who they are dealing with…then the obligatory apologies ensue…shame on them….
airlines have strict rules with things, like one time this guy in too short shorts was asked to either not fly or change… but if they were just kicked off for a peck then that’s messed up but if they were necking they would have been kicked off if they were a straight couple too.. but yeah there’s a lot of strict rules while flying.