First it was actor-director Kevin Smith’s weight; then it was Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong’s baggy pants; and now a lesbian actress-musician is claiming she was escorted off a Southwest Airlines aircraft after a flight attendant told her and her girlfriend to stop kissing. Leisha Hailey—an actress from The L Word and member of the band Uh Huh Her—tweeted on Monday that she and her girlfriend and bandmate, Camila Grey, were told that Southwest is “a 'family' airline and kissing was not OK.” Hailey continued, “Since when is showing affection towards someone you love illegal? I want to know what Southwest Airlines considers as ‘family.’ ” She claimed she and Grey were “escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue” and that she has audio and video of the incident. Hailey also told her Twitter followers to boycott Southwest. The airline responded in a statement, according to TMZ: "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 are ready to work directly with the passengers involved to offer our heartfelt apologies for falling short of their expectation."
On Tuesday, Hailey and Grey released a joint statement: “In no way were our actions on Southwest Airlines excessive, inappropriate or vulgar … it was one, modest kiss.” They added, “We are in the process of filing a formal complaint with the airline. We hope that when all is said and done a greater tolerance without prejudice will evolve.”
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