Was Leisha Hailey's Affection For Her Lady Tactless or Did Southwest Air Err Toward Homophobia?

A	Kissing in public is a graceless move regardless of orientation.

B	Southwest handled the incident shamefully because of the same-sex circumstance.

Actress Leisha Hailey and her girlfriend Camila Grey were removed from a Southwest Airlines flight earlier this week after an incident that the L-Word star claims started with an innocent kiss and the airline claims was due to outbursts after the couple was gently reminded to maintain a family-friendly environment. Is Hailey's anger at being asked to tone down a girl-on-girl peck justified? Should affection between any couple, regardless of sex, be saved for private spaces, or is Southwest simply skirting the issue of blatant homophobia?

The couple expressed their outrage though a statement issued via their electro-pop band, Uh Huh Her [pictured left], which was embarking on a twenty-one city nationwide tour to increase breast cancer awareness. According to the Huffington Post, the statement reads, "In no way were our actions on Southwest Airlines excessive, inappropriate or vulgar," it 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."

Southwest shot back that the ladies were removed for foul language that resulted from the reprimand, not for the actual affection, "Additional reports from our Employees and Customers onboard flight 2274 during a stop in El Paso on Sunday now confirm profane language was being used loudly by two passengers," the statement read. "At least one family who was offended by the loud profanity moved to another area of the cabin. Although we have reports of what Customers characterize as an excessive public display of affection, ultimately their aggressive reaction led to their removal from the aircraft." The statement continued, "We do not tolerate discrimination against anyone for any reason. In this situation, their removal was directly and solely related to the escalated conversation that developed onboard the aircraft."

Leisha Hailey, however, maintains her innocence against Southwest's claims: "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.' No matter how quietly homophobia is whispered, it doesn’t make it any less loud."

Is a kiss just a kiss or is was something more?

Casandra Armour

Was Leisha Hailey's Affection For Her Lady Tactless or Did Southwest Air Err Toward Homophobia?

Jing Nickhol

Casandra Armour

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