'L-Word' Star Kisses Girl, Gets Escorted Off Plane
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Controversy over a kiss. An actress who flew out of BWI Monday is calling for a boycott of Southwest Airlines. Mary Bubala reports she says she was taken off the flight for kissing her girlfriend.
The kiss took place on a Southwest flight from BWI to Saint Louis on Monday. Actress Leisha Hailey, a lesbian who starred in Showtime's "The L Word" and more recently was seen in a role on "CSI," says she was escorted off the flight for kissing her girlfriend and then getting upset with a flight attendant who told her to stop.
On Twitter, Hailey says the flight attendant called it a "family airline." Hailey says Southwest discriminated against her simply for showing affection toward someone she loves.
But Southwest Airlines says passengers described the kiss as not just a peck but as "excessive."
Southwest, which has a webpage devoted to gay travel, says it approached the actress based solely on behavior and not gender.
Tuesday, a lesbian couple traveling Southwest say they are upset with how the airline handled it.
"I don't think there should be excessive public affection between males, females, two females, two males. A kiss is a kiss but don't go overboard," said Tracye Henderson.
"If it was an appropriate kiss for a man and a women, then it was an appropriate kiss for a female and a female if they are a couple. If it was inappropriate regardless, then it was inappropriate," said Ronica Farrar.
Hailey says she has video of the exchange with the flight attendant. She says she plans to file a formal complaint with the airline.
