Arts & Entertainment
Actress AnnaLynne McCord blasts Southwest Airlines for discriminating against gay couple
the star penned an open letter to the company
“90210” star AnnaLynne McCord is calling out Southwest Airlines for not allowing a gay couple and their two daughters to board during the flight’s “family boarding time” because they “didn’t count as family.”
“Have you ever felt bullied? Have you ever picked on?… A couple of days ago, the young girls in this photo were made to feel just that by individuals who wear your logo and represent their company,” McCord begins.
The actress notes the flight was the family’s first ever flight and they were denied boarding with the other families.
“Why would your company representatives believe that it is okay to reject these little girls’ love for their fathers, making them feel that they are not good enough? Is that not a form of bullying?” she writes. “I implore you, as a company that seeks to provide a happy experience for all of its customers, to hire individuals who despise hate, not love; who embrace difference, not look down on it.”
The family was eventually allowed to board and McCord shared a photo of the family sitting in their seats.
Jacob Lapp appeared to confirm the mistreatment tweeting, “Two small girls in tow. We were flying from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale and were denied family boarding because we are two men with two kids.”
Two small girls in tow. We were flying from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale and were denied family boarding because we are two men with two kids
— Jacob Lapp (@Jakelapp13) August 22, 2017
Southwest Airlines told the New York Daily News they didn’t receive any complaints on the flight and did not hear from the couple or McCord. However, an internal investigation is being conducted.
“Our employees work to carry out our boarding policy for families traveling together, while also maintain boarding priorities for all customers,” the company said in a statement. “We welcome onboard more than 115 million customers each year and Southwest neither condones nor tolerates discrimination of any kind… We regret any less than positive travel experience.”
Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pair’s son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.
Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.
In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: “The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend — his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in — including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele — may they rest in power.”
Reiner’s frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.
A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.”
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Visit gmcw.org for tickets and showtimes.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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