Facing a boycott, Southwest issues statement about kissing incident

Actress and musician Leisha Hailey tweeted Monday night that a Southwest flight attendant told her that kissing her girlfriend was taboo on a family airline. The carrier insists it was a matter of degree. UPDATE: Hailey issued a statement.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

UPDATE APPENDED

Looks like a bumpy week ahead for Southwest Airlines.

On Monday, actress and musician Leisha Hailey, who starred in the TV show “The L-Word,” tweeted: “I have been discriminated against by @SouthwestAir. Flt. attendant said that it was a ‘family’ airline and kissing was not ok.”

She fired off several more tweets demanding an apology, claiming she and her girlfriend were escorted off the flight, and calling for a boycott.

The tweets sparked outrage across social media, starting with the Twitter hashtag #boycottsouthwest. Angry customers also took to the airline’s Facebook page with angry comments.

Roughly four hours after Hailey’s first tweet, Southwest tweeted a link to this statement about the incident:

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.