"L-Word" star kisses girl, booted off plane

(AP) 

A lesbian actress who starred in "The L-Word" said she kissed a girl — and got escorted off of a Southwest Airlines flight on Monday for doing it.

Leisha Hailey took to Twitter to call for a boycott of the carrier after a flight attendant told them other passengers had complained after witnessing the affection.

Her first tweet said: "I have been discriminated against." She later added, "Since when is showing affection to someone you love illegal?"

Southwest Airlines Co. responded on its website that Hailey was approached "based solely on behavior and not gender." The airline's four-sentence response said passengers were characterizing the behavior as excessive.

A discussion followed on the flight, and the airline said it "escalated to a level that was better resolved on the ground."

Hailey was a musician before joining the cast of the Showtime drama featuring the lives of lesbian friends and lovers living in Los Angeles. She played the character Alice Pieszecki.

The actress and her unidentified girlfriend were on a flight from Baltimore to St. Louis. The kissing occurred in the air and a discussion followed when the plane landed.

Hailey said the encounter between the couple and a flight attendant was recorded.

A message seeking comment from Halley's spokeswoman, Libby Coffey, was not immediately returned.

Southwest's website says it is the official airline of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Herndon Graddick, senior director of programs at GLAAD, said in an email that "GLAAD contacted Southwest to call for additional actions beyond tonight's statement that ensure all customers feel comfortable and welcomed while traveling."

Earlier this month, the Dallas-based airline kicked off Green Day's lead man Billie Joe Armstrong for wearing his pants too low. The Grammy winner was escorted off a plane after failing to follow a flight attendant's directive to pull the pants up.

Southwest also removed director Kevin Smith from a flight last year because he didn't fit properly in a single seat. His first tweet read, "Dear (at)SouthwestAir I know I'm fat, but was (the) captain (...) really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?"

Halley is preparing to launch a 21-city tour to promote breast cancer awareness.

[ssporleder]

From another site -

A passenger who was on the flight with Hailey told IBTimes that the couple was not kicked off the plane for being gay.

"They were being completely inappropriate with their vulgar language from the beginning," the passenger, who wished to remain unnamed, said.

"They started off being upset that they were called over the loud speaker to catch the flight and then once on board, found out that there would be a 20-minute delay before taking off. They continued to use obscene language and make-out with each other in front of numerous small children around them. Finally, the flight attendant leaned in and politely asked them to tone down their behavior, which in turn set them off even more, crying 'discrimination.' The flight attendant even said to them that she would do the same if it were a hetero couple or gay male couple."

Hailey claims on her twitter account that she has both audio and video footage of the incident to back up her case, though neither has been released.

There is always more to the story and independent witnesses usually have the correct story.

[A_Canadian_Opinion]

Thank you Southwest Airlines! Happy to hear that you're a family airline. My family of 7 will see you on our next trip to Disney.

[tmn]

Mmmmm...a little girl on girl action. Beats an on-flight movie anyday.

[you_MAY_be_right]

Southwest doesn't offer in-flight movies.

[ReckonedTruth]

LOL with "you_MAY_be_right...

[smittyc]

Keep it in your bedroom or rent a motel room.

[Oldgee60]

This story seems bigoted and misleading. The byline says "kisses girl, booted off plane" leaving the clear impression that the "kissing" lead to the "booting". However the story says that the kissing happened in the air and that there was a "discussion" when the plane landed. If this was the scheduled destination then the booting is called de-planing, it's what you do when you normally do when you arrive at your destination! And the "discussion" sounds like a response to passenger complaints; what commercial airlines are supposed to do. Ms Hailey, your 15 minutes may be about up.

[Brokennews]

There's kissing and then there's kisssssssssssssiiiiinnnnnggggg!

A quick kiss or a peck on the cheek wouldn't have even registered to anyone on the plane. Something tells me that that they were doing tongue inspections of each others tonsils!

Gay or straight, if you are unable to control yourself, at least have the decency to take it into the bathroom & take your chances there!

[Irby32]

Southwest has lost it's soul...RIP Herb

[ReckonedTruth]

Personally, if I was on the flight with a child..or even alone..and I was in eye's view of a couple of any sexual prefrence making out so intensely the majority of the flight -- and the only thing they haven't done is- "do the do" -right there? I would be annoyed ..there's a time and place for everything.. being intensely intimate the majority duration of a flight..as if you're in the privacy of your own space(not a public space)..is pushing buttons with any couple.

There's probably more to the story-- than what we have read .. I'm certain there was an heated exchange between the passenger and the flight attendant. You can't use theatening words in a heated exchange with any flight attendant..if so-- you're deem as a possible domestic terroist on board..I hope folks understand this when you're in a heated exchange with a flight attendant.. granted flight attendants aren't RIGHT always..because they too can have a BAD day..and will USE their power of authority in excessive.. next thing you know you're off the plane before take off..or escorted off after flight arrvial to be questioned.

Southwest is not a carrier I fly with hardly at all..not particuarly fond of the carrier for the most part..

What is confusing is this(if I read correctly).. from Bmore to St Louis is a short flight.. why was the actress escorted off the plane in St Louis- the flight's final destination?

[Hitbound]

If a guy and a girl had been making out I am sure it would have caused complaints too! Being homosexual is no excuse for bad taste or for causing a disruption on a flight. Go to a drive in or get a room next time!!!

[michaelz06]

The title of this article, as well as how it is being reported elsewhere, is misleading. She was not kicked off the flight, but evidently made a production out of being asked to tone down whatever she was doing while in the air. Sounds like she is seeking to make something out of having her own over the top behavior called into question. Southwest has responded, and if I were them, that is all the response she would get.