Another reason the friendly skies aren’t really all that friendly...
I travel a lot. So much so that I believe I have encountered every kind of situation on an airplane. From screaming children to a drunken man trying to fondle the woman next to him, yes, I’ve seen it all. I have seen couples making out, getting down and dirty in their seats; I have seen parents hit their children, scream at their kids, and couples embark on a five-hour long fight aboard a very crowded aircraft. I have never seen, however, a same-sex couple kiss on a plane and now I know why. Apparently, that behavior can get you removed from a flight.
Southwest Airlines is taking the heat today for booting L-word actress, Leisha Hailey, and her girlfriend off a flight for kissing. Well, Southwest claims it was more than just a kiss...
“Our crew, responsible for the comfort of all customers on board, approached the passengers based solely on behavior and not on gender. The conversation escalated to a level that was better resolved on the ground, as opposed to on a flight,” reports Reuters.
Hailey had a different take on the situation and told the Associated Press that “the encounter between the couple and a flight attendant was recorded,” suggesting that there is more to the story than is being divulged at present moment.
Oddly enough, Southwest is the official airline of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which makes the situation look even more embarrassing on their part.
Look, I get it. Nobody wants to see two people swapping spit on an airplane. But, let’s be real. It happens all the time. I have never seen flight attendants boot any heterosexual couple off an airplane for kissing, and I haven’t seen any passengers complain to a flight attendant about a heterosexual couple kissing.
To add insult to injury, after landing, a flight attendant told Hailey that their public display of affection was “unacceptable on a ‘family’ airline.”
This is probably where Hailey lost her cool.
“Since when is showing affection towards someone you love illegal? I want to know what Southwest Airlines considers a ‘family’. I know plenty of wonderful same-sex families I would like to introduce them to. Boycott @SouthwestAir if you are gay. They don’t like us,” Hailey tweeted.
As we progress as a society, we are going to encounter more push back from those who are still uncomfortable with seeing a same sex couple show affection towards one another. I don’t know if Hailey deserved to get kicked off the plane for her behavior, but she certainly didn’t deserve to get escorted off for kissing a girl.
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What are your thoughts on this incident? Did Southwest do the right thing or did they overreact? How would you feel if you were singled out and escorted off for kissing someone you loved on a plane? Facebook twoday magazine and share your thoughts on this controversial situation.
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There were probably children on the plane. They could have been exposed to dangerous levels of Love and Affection. The flight attendant had no choice.