LOS ANGELES — An actress on the “The L Word” TV
series says she was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight for kissing
her girlfriend.
Leisha Hailey made the claim in a
Twitter post Monday. Hailey said a flight attendant said Southwest “was a
‘family’ airline and kissing was not OK.”
Hailey
said she was escorted off the airline “for getting upset about the
issue.” She said the airline “endorses homophobic employees.”
“Since
when is showing affection towards someone you love illegal? I want to
know what Southwest Airlines considers as ‘family,’ ” she wrote.
Hailey
demanded a refund and apology, and called on gay people to boycott the
airline. The actress, who lives in Los Angeles, was on a flight from
Baltimore to St. Louis.
In a statement on its
website, Southwest said Hailey’s behavior, not her sexual orientation,
was the reason she was removed from the flight.
“Initial
reports indicate that we received several passenger complaints
characterizing the behavior as excessive,” the statement says.
“Our
crew, responsible for the comfort of all customers on board, approached
the passengers based solely on behavior and not gender,” the statement
continues. “The conversation escalated to a level that was better
resolved on the ground, as opposed to in flight.”
The
airline added: “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.”
Hailey
is a member of the rock duo Uh Huh Her. She is also a spokeswoman for
Olivia, a tourism and entertainment firm that markets to lesbians.
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