For Tasha Grant, a passenger travelling from New York to Manila with a ten-hour layover in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a question asked of a customer service agent has convulsed into a 15-page lawsuit against a major international carrier. This incident took place over the phone. According to the lawsuit: “On April 10, 2015, she spoke to a Saudi Arabian Airlines representative by calling 1-800-472-8342. She advised the airline representative that she was interested in booking a flight on Saudi Arabian Airlines from New York’s JFK airport to Manila, Philippines. This flight has an approximately 10-hour layover in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Complainant advised the representative that she is openly gay, and that she desires to travel with her partner. The airline representative informed complainant that she could experience difficulties if she were to hold hands with her partner either on the plane or at the airport. The airline representative advised her to conceal the fact that she is gay.”
While to many Western eyes this may appear, at first blush, to be an affront to our sensibilities, the advice given was neither a demand nor a requirement for flying the airline nor was it prejudicial. Why does this matter? Because, as the lawsuit goes on to say, “An air carrier is prohibited by 49 U.S.C. § 41310(a) from subjecting a person “to unreasonable discrimination” in foreign air Third party complaint 7 transportation. The provisions of 49 U.S. C. § 41310(a) prohibit airlines from engaging in non-economic forms of discrimination against individuals. This provision was relied upon by the Secretary in ordering the cessation of discriminatory conduct against Arab passengers in the aftermath of 9/11. See Order Denying Motion of American Airlines to Dismiss, Docket OST-2003-15046, at pp. 2-3.”
But, according to BoradingArea.com, “She’s suggesting that Saudia needs to provide assurance that transit passengers from the United States will not be subjected to any form of “detention, harassment, coercion, or intimidation due to their sexual orientation while waiting for their connecting flights in the Riyadh or Jeddah airport transit areas,” and that if they can’t do that, Saudia’s permit to fly to the US should be revoked.”
The case can also be viewed through the prism of Saudi Arabia’s cultural values. The Kingdom frowns upon any public displays of affection. They also do not permit visible displays of un-Islamic religious artifacts such as crucifixes. Furthermore, many members of the LGBT community will admit that while many of their laws are draconian in nature, they are rarely enforced.
What do you think? Does this woman have a legitimate claim or is she merely itching for a fight? Leave your comments below. We’d love to hear your thoughts.
In Saudi, any public display of affection is frowned upon, even between straight married couples. In most other countries too public lewdness is not appreciated other than the highly “liberated” Western countries. If you want to kiss or anything else do it in private, or dont come here and then make an issue out of it.