Actress and Uh Huh Her star Leisha Hailey has called for a
boycott of Southwest Airlines, after she was asked to leave a plane
for kissing her girlfriend.
The former L Word star wrote a series of posts on Twitter
following the incident and called for her followers to boycott the
airline for endorsing homophobic employees.
She tweeted: "I have been discriminated against by
@SouthwestAir. Flt. [sic] attendant said that it was a
"family" airline and kissing was not ok.
"This is an outrage. I demand a public apology by
@SouthwestAir and a refund. Hate is not a family
value. I will never fly this airline [sic].
"We were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the
issue. @SouthwestAir endorses homophobic employees. No
one made her accountable.
"Since when is showing affection towards someone you love
illegal? I want to know what Southwest Airlines considers as
"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.
"Did I mention to @SouthwestAir that I
have a lot of their actions recorded on audio and video? RT
#boycottSouthwest #discrimination."
Hailey's publicist Libby Coffey was unavailable for
comment.
In a statement to celebrity gossip website TMZ, Southwest
Air said: "Initial reports indicate that we received several
passenger complaints characterising the behaviour as
excessive.
"Our crew, responsible for the comfort of all customers on board,
approached the passengers based solely on behaviour and not gender.
The conversation escalated to a level that was better resolved on
the ground, as opposed to in flight.
"We are ready to work directly with the passengers involved to
offer our heartfelt apologies for falling short of their
expectation."
On its website, Southwest Airlines pledges the company's
commitment to the LGBT community, stating: "We take pride in our
outreach and commitment to the GLBT community. We have
community partnerships with a variety of local and national
organizations who are dedicated to GLBT causes and
initiatives.
"As an example, we are the official airline of the Gay &
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Gay-Straight
Alliance Network (GSA), and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber
of Commerce (NGLCC). To learn more about our support of the
GLBT community, please continue to navigate through our
page.
"Visit often to stay up to date on our newest information,
community partnerships, and upcoming events. We look forward
to welcoming you onboard soon."
Hailey, who starred as Alice, a bisexual magazine writer and
radio host during her time on The L Word is now a member of rock
band, Uh Huh Her with Camila Grey. The duo appeared on the cover of
DIVA's June 2011 issue.
