Don't put your head on his shoulder, faggot!

[operafan]

Can't remember if this has been posted or not. Advocate did a cover story on either this story or something like it not too long ago. I do not believe for one second that anything would have been said if it had been a woman who had her head on a guy's shoulder.


Gay couple asked to 'cover up' on flight

Edwin Naidu
February 25 2007 at 10:35AM

A British businessman and his South African partner have brought sexual discrimination claims against a major airline to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) after they were ordered by an air hostess to "cover up" while on a domestic flight earlier this month.

Jamie Robertson, the managing partner of Odgers Ray & Berndtson, which is affiliated to a global recruitment firm, told The Sunday Independent on Friday he and his partner, Francois van Tonder, were on a flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg on February 11 when they were insulted by the cabin attendant over their alleged "amorous conduct".

Jody Kollapen, the chairperson of the rights body, confirmed that the commission was investigating the incident on flight BA6410 on February 11.

"During the flight he [Van Tonder] had his head on my shoulder and I had my arm around him.

Rest of the story: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20070225081814726C388042

 

[JASON0980]

that is just stupid!! i hope they win the case. and how in the hellis putting them under a blanket going to make it any better? then all the other passengers are going to assume they are screwing.......

i want to go book a flight on that airline now. just to make out with some guy. i think we should all go book flights with them and make out openly. show them something to get offended about. of course we will have to be have gay and half straight couples.

 

[Neji]

Wow, that's horrible.

 

[Jeimuzu]

Well, to be honest, I'm not surprised. It's fairly mild, all things considered, and just because one air hostess is a homophobe using her 'powers' to try to stop things she doesn't like, doesn't mean the whole airline is.

She's probably in a bit of trouble now.

 

[unclaimedblessing]

After the paying passengers are served and are comfortable, they should make the _itch fly alongside the plane on her broom.

 

[GL]

Well, to be honest, I'm not surprised. It's fairly mild, all things considered, and just because one air hostess is a homophobe using her 'powers' to try to stop things she doesn't like, doesn't mean the whole airline is.

She's probably in a bit of trouble now.

Ahh... but she is a paid employee of the airline. The airline itself may not share her alleged homophobia (there is that bit in the article where the airline claims she stated to the couple that she was only voicing the other passenger's complaints), but she is wearing their uniform and she is the passenger's 'face' while on that flight. As such, the airline has culpability. I'm not a lawyer so naturally that is only my opinion.

 

[Jeimuzu]

Ahh... but she is a paid employee of the airline. The airline itself may not share her alleged homophobia (there is that bit in the article where the airline claims she stated to the couple that she was only voicing the other passenger's complaints), but she is wearing their uniform and she is the passenger's 'face' while on that flight. As such, the airline has culpability. I'm not a lawyer so naturally that is only my opinion.

Oh, legally it's the airline's fault, and naturally they'll be more careful from now on, but actually personally I believe it's just one air hostess who's being a homophobe. Individual homophobia is quite a common thing... The major advances in gay rights have been to make major companies and governments treat us the same as straight people. I don't mind the occasional homophobe that much, since they have so little legal backing compared to twenty years ago that they're really all bark and no bite.

 

[spreadeagle]

She was probably disappointed she couldn't do a Ralph Fiennes with them.

 

[treanir]

i want to go book a flight on that airline now. just to make out with some guy. i think we should all go book flights with them and make out openly. show them something to get offended about. of course we will have to be have gay and half straight couples.

Now there's a good idea for the next JUB meet!


Seriously, 'amorous behaviour' is not allowed during the flight? So where do they draw the line? Holding hands? Telling them 'I love you'? Placing a hand on your partner's shoulder? Head on shoulder? Joining the Mile High Club?

The people who complained should've been made to ride on the wings of the plane.

 

[looseliam]

Were I the attendant on the flight:

"Excuse me, would you tell those two to stop touching each other, it's making me uncomfortable"
ME: "Well, this thing had been bugging me the last hour and you don't see me complaining. And if you have a problem with it, go ask them yourselves. Coffee?"

 

[lyconthrope]

i dont wanna go against the flow here and start trouble....but...it seems it was a south african airline (flight from cape town to jo-burg) and this is terribly unfair and i can see why people would be upset/annoyed about it but i dont think its discrimination, i am fairly sure this would have happened even if it was a straight couple.

I have flown south african airlines and visited in the past and know them to be very...........prudish i think is the closest word i can think of, and not to mention that it wasnt so long ago that homosexuality was illegal (still is in some smaller regions) and even though it is now largely accepted "flaunting it" is largely discouraged; even straight displays of affection arent always well received.

(please dont yell at me!! i am fragile)

 

[colemanshs]

Ridiculous. I guess it's a double standard for the straights.

 

[miaplacidus]

So it seems that I should save up and buy a 707 like John Travolta. Meanwhile, I think I'll fly on KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines. I've heard that the Netherlands are a good place for gay/bi people...

 

[hotdog1846]

I flew British Airways from India to Denver just a few weeks ago. I had quite a flirt-fest with one of the male flight attendants on the London to Denver flight. I went forward and talked with him for a while -- I don't think he was just "doing his job".

It's a localized incident, folks.

 

[miaplacidus]

I've heard that a lot of male flight attendants are gay. Is that true?

It surely would be fun to have sex in a plane...

 

[cellular]

i havent heard about this story even though i live in SA. Must have missed it on the news. I dont see anything wrong with a gay guy putting his head on his partners shoulders.
I knew a straight guy who always put his head on my shoulder during school. There was nothing going on, it was just being friendly, so i dont see a problem. Maybe air hostess perception is skew?

 

[drhladnjak]

I've heard that a lot of male flight attendants are gay. Is that true?

It surely would be fun to have sex in a plane...

There are definitely a lot of gay flight attendants. One friend of mine who flies with Alaska Airlines estimates it's about 50/50 gay/straight when it comes to male flight attendants. Of course, only like 10% of all attendants are male, but still.

Another friend of mine used to be a flight attendant for a now defunct Canadian airline. He said couples would frequently go into the lavatories to have sex and often make a lot of noise doing it. Apparently, the policy was to allow this since there are two oxygen masks in each lavatory. However, he had on several occasions stopped groups of three or more (where do they find the room?!?) because they were required by Transport Canada regulations to limit it to two people at a time for safety reasons.

 

[cocktales]

Unfortunately, employees DO represent the owners of the airline or whatever company the person works....

It "is" discrimination and probably "never" make it to a court room near you; for they will settle out of court to stop the media cirucus it will have when it comes to trial!

Damn stupid people and their bias'!

Why canNOT people just let people live and let live and enjoy life and NOT meddle in other's private affairs???

I know South Africa's personal battle with allowing Gay's to become part of the citizenry of that country; but dammit.....grow up and realize that Gay people are people too and we need civil rights as well as others!

 

[blackbeltninja]

i dont wanna go against the flow here and start trouble....but...it seems it was a south african airline (flight from cape town to jo-burg)

It's Comair, operated by British Airways as their local partner, so all the planes are in BA colours with BA logos all over them.

I've never flown with BA - always gone SAA and their partners (United, Delta and Air Tanzania) except one flight with American Airlines, which is a BA partner. Perhaps all my flights were just very quiet, but I've never seen anyone complain on board about anything at all.

Didn't make much in the news on tv or radio this morning here in .za - undoubtedly it will be more of an issue this afternoon, though.


-d-

 

[fuzzy64]

doesnt suprise me in the least bit, what with how the airlines are these days. Even yet another reason to add to my list of "reasons not to fly anymore"