"Flying while lesbian," SW’s new excuse for kicking Leisha Hailey off flight: She didn’t submit

You'll recall that we've been reporting on a recent brouhaha in which Southwest Airlines kicked L-Word star Leisha Hailey off of a flight because straight passengers were uncomfortable that she kissed her partner. Southwest initially said they got complaints from other passengers, so that's why they kicked the gay couple off the flight, but now, after Hailey claimed that it was only "one modest kiss" that the couple shared, Southwest is announcing a new justification for kicking the lesbians off the flight: They stood up for themselves.

Really? You mean, Southwest went up to a gay couple and told them that lots of bigoted anti-gay passengers didn't like them sharing a single modest kiss, and would the couple please stop showing any affection whatsoever for each other because Southwest is a "family airline," but it's okay if straight couples show affection, because they're "real" families (apparently), and the gay couple got profane in response to this clear bigotry by Southwest's own employees, and now it's the profanity, not that they were lesbians showing affection, that "forced" Southwest to kick them off the family-values flight.

Yeah right.

Except that Southwest is forgetting one convenient point: The couple became profane after Southwest informed them that gay people aren't permitted to show the same level of affection that straight people are permitted on Southwest flights. So, the cause of the profanity was Southwest's alleged discriminatory, and incredibly offensive, actions.

I'd be concerned if someone didn't get profane in response to a request like that. What's next, are inter-racial couples not supposed to share a single modest kiss on Southwest because Aryan nation families might find it offensive (and actually, let's be honest, many of the same "families" that didn't like the gay kiss would be just as upset about the inter-racial kiss, except those families know it's not acceptable any more to express such bigoted views, and if they did, the flight attendant would probably scold them). And if Southwest does ask you to stop showing affection if your partner is a bit too dark for southern comfort, don't get upset about the obvious discrimination being practiced, or that too will be used to get rid of you.

But it's not because you're gay.

It's simply because you refuse to accept discrimination in public accommodations against gay people.

So, Southwest won't discriminate against you by kicking you off the flight for being gay so long as you let them discriminate against you by forcing you to remain in the closet while flying Southwest.

Keep talking, Southwest.  You're seriously ticking people off.