Lesbian actress booted off Southwest flight for 'excessive' PDA

[Peppergirl]

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...,1314151.story

Listen, they shouldn't have booted her off. Okay.

However (and I know this is going to be unpopular), I am not a big fan of excessive PDA. I don't care if you're gay, straight, a sheep-o-phile...anything. I simply don't want to see it.

I'm hardly a prude, but I guess I was raised that there's a time and a place for it.

Before anyone comes after me with a flame thrower, let me clarify that I don't mean hugging and a little making out. That wouldn't bother me regardless of sexual orientation. But the people who slobber all over each other make me nauseous.

The article doesn't really get into what was deemed 'excessive', so that makes it a bit hard to judge.

[AdminAssistant]

As you say, it's hard to judge without knowing what the behavior is. A little snuggle and a peck on the cheek? Harmless. 15 minutes of uninterrupted tongue action and groping? Inappropriate. Although if Southwest is that determined to police their passenger's behavior they may want to stop serving drinks on flights. (Last time I flew Southwest, a trio of bros behind me were regaling our section of the plane with stories that were decidedly not family friendly.)

[Andara Bledin]

As with the last one, they weren't kicked off because of what they were doing. They were kicked off for how they responded to being asked to stop what they were doing.

Seriously. How fucking hard is it to not be a complete douchebag to the flight attendants?

And with how often and freely Southwest happily 86's people for being douchebags, I don't get why people keep doing this. Unless it's for the free shit they get once they start airing how they got sanctioned for being assholes to their fanbase, anyway.

As the article quotes:
"The conversation escalated to a level that was better resolved on the ground, as opposed to in flight."

^-.-^

[bara]

From the article it sounds they were removed from the plane because they started arguing loudly about it after they were asked to stop. If thats the case then yes, they should have been removed from the plane, but not for the kissing itself.

But not really enough details.

[Peppergirl]

Not to mention, the airline industry as a whole has a great deal of homosexuals.

How many straight male flight attendants do you see? Not too many. If the airline was truly homophobic, they'd have a hell of a time finding staff.

[Nyoibo]

How many straight male flight attendants do you see?

I must get them all then.

[smileyeagle1021]

From the article it sounds they were removed from the plane because they started arguing loudly about it after they were asked to stop. If thats the case then yes, they should have been removed from the plane, but not for the kissing itself.

But not really enough details.

I would agree, if and only if, the flight attendant would have asked a heterosexual couple to stop also. That is a very big if.

How many straight male flight attendants do you see? Not too many.

And you criticized me earlier for stereotyping... pot kettle?

[Peppergirl]

And you criticized me earlier for stereotyping... pot kettle?

I'm in the travel business and know very few straight male flight attendants. It's a fact, at least here in the US.

Stating that the majority of a certain profession tend to be homosexual is a hell of a lot different than claiming all Christians are hate mongering homophobes. I suppose stating that most male hairdressers are gay is stereotyping too, right?

But that's for another thread. I'll gladly take it back there.

[smileyeagle1021]

I'm in the travel business and know very few straight male flight attendants. It's a fact, at least here in the US.

Stating that the majority of a certain profession tend to be homosexual is a hell of a lot different than claiming all Christians are hate mongering homophobes. I suppose stating that most male hairdressers are gay is stereotyping too, right?

care to site your sources, other than personal experience, which you've discounted my personal experience in other threads, which for the record, when I was in the travel industry, we had just as many gay men as in the general population. For flight attendants, you could also have just said, there are very few male flight attendants, when I was at the hotel, there was only one male flight attendant who stayed with us, he was straight by the way.

[Gravekeeper]

Everything I can find on this tells me two things:

A) This is just weak media rage pron.
B) The only problem here is her ego.

Sounds like: They were making out, people complained, attendant asked them to stop ( because several people are complaining to her ), she threw a shit fit because she's a Special Snowflake and played the discrimination card for an Attention Whore Bonus Score.

She claims she recorded the whole thing on video with the attedant, but the video is absent thus far. Also, she's made her Twitter feed private since the shit hit the fan and Southwest responded to her.

[Peppergirl]

You're right, Smiley. In my experience, most male FA's are gay. Just as in my experience, most male hairdressers are gay.

I shouldn't have ascribed my personal opinions as fact.

Either way, I love 'em all. Even though God tells me it's a sin.

Back to the topic, I'm going to try to find other articles that offer more detail as to exactly what this 'excessive' incident was. It does indeed seem as if their subsequent behavior was the reason for the drama, rather than the incident itself.

But if they weren't slobbering all over each other, what was the harm?

[Andara Bledin]

Sounds like: They were making out, people complained, attendant asked them to stop ( because several people are complaining to her ), she threw a shit fit because she's a Special Snowflake and played the discrimination card for an Attention Whore Bonus Score.

Bingo!

What I don't get is why the media appears to be so hard up to find a corporation to get the public to hate. Why the need to get Southwest in the shitter?

^-.-^

[BrenDAnn]

First off...GK I knew someone would have your POV. I'm leaving it at that. Next, I found out about this through my twitter feed, as Leisha's girlfriend played keyboards for a favorite artist of mine, and I follow their band on Twitter as well. In fact, I was thinking of posting this here, but I see I was beaten to it. My question is, exactly what IS "excessive"? I probably have the unpopular opinion here, but I've followed Leisha (and UHHuhHer) long enough to know that this wasn't just a case of ego and playing the discrimination card. The women in question are not like that at all. I just find it hard to believe that they actually did anything "excessive" as the airline's statement (which almost angered me more than the incident itself) said. Sorry. Just my opinion.

[Gravekeeper]

I probably have the unpopular opinion here, but I've followed Leisha (and UHHuhHer) long enough to know that this wasn't just a case of ego and playing the discrimination card. The women in question are not like that at all.

Nope, not buying it. By all indications she through a fit on Twitter. "This is an outrage"? "Southwest endorses homophobic employees"? Spiralling off into "I want to know what Southwest considers a family" when its pretty obvious that is in no way what the attendant meant? Ridiculous statements like "Since when is showing affection to someone you love illegal?". No one said it was illegal. You were just asked to behave on a plane. She obviously argued with the attendant over it instead of behaving like a grown up. To the point where she was escorted off.

That says hissy fit plain and simple. You've got the persecution, the self righteousness and the leaps in logic.

Oh hey, its back up:

"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."

"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."

This is the point she's reached from being asked to stop making out on a plane. -.-

Hey, she even admits it!

"We were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue. @SouthwestAir endorses homophobic employees. No one made her accountable."

>.>

[Andara Bledin]

The airline reports that they had indications of "several passenger complaints characterizing the behavior as excessive." And Hailey tweeted, in part, "Since when is showing affection toward someone you love illegal?" and that they were removed for "getting upset about the issue".

So, again, they weren't removed from the flight for kissing. They were complained about by other passengers for that, and the attendant requested that they not do what was garnering complaints. Considering the "family airline" comment, I would not be surprised to learn there was more than just some minor liplocks going on.

They were removed for causing a scene with the attendant, and rather than have a fight in flight, the offending parties (literally, if other passengers were making complaints) were removed from the equation.

Honestly, I really wish people would leave the snogging at home. I'm tired of seeing people making out in public. I don't care what orientation they are, it's just not appreciated. I especially don't want to have to witness it in the tight quarters of an airplane cabin.

I'm wondering at the immediate call of "homophobia" that was raised, here. Just how much of a self-entitled SC do you have to be to be unable to acquiesce to the request of the flight crew to save the spit-swapping session until after the flight when you are no longer their problem and they no longer have to field the complaints over it?

^-.-^