Actress-musician Leisha Hailey and her
girlfriend Camila Grey say they were booted from a Southwest Airlines
flight over a “modest kiss.”
The women were removed from their
flight after several passengers complained that their behavior was
“excessive,” the airline said in a statement.
Hailey, who is best known for playing
Alice Pieszecki on Showtime's groundbreaking lesbian drama The L
Word, and Grey form the duo Uh Huh Her. They released a
statement through their band denying the airline's allegations.
“In no way were our actions on
Southwest Airlines excessive, inappropriate or vulgar,” the
statement read. “We want to make it clear we were not making out
or creating any kind of spectacle of ourselves, it was one, modest
kiss. We are responsible adult women who walk through the world with
dignity. We were on the airplane less than 5 minutes when all was
said and done. We take full responsibility for getting verbally
upset with the flight attendant after being told it was a 'family
airline.' We were never told the reason the flight attendant
approached us, we were only scolded that we 'needed to be aware that
Southwest Airlines was a family oriented airline.'”
In a statement to CNN, Southwest
Airlines said the women were removed for their “aggressive
reaction” and insisted the airline does not discriminate against
gay people.
“We do not tolerate discrimination
against anyone for any reason,” the statement read. “In this
situation, their removal was directly and solely related to the
escalated conversation that developed onboard the aircraft.”
Southwest's “tenets of inclusion and
celebration of diversity among our customers and employees –
including those in the LGBT communities – anchor our culture of
mutual respect and following the Golden Rule. … ALL are valued and
welcome.”
Hailey and Grey, however, refuted the
airline's version of events.
“No matter how quietly homophobia is
whispered, it doesn't make it any less loud. You can't whisper
hate,” they said. “We find it very disturbing that the same
airline who lauds itself as being LGBT friendly has twisted an
upsetting incident that happened into our behavior being 'too
excessive.'”
The women added they were in the
process of filing a formal complaint with the airline.
(Related: Adam
Lambert chides Southwest for booting Leisha Hailey, Camila Grey.)