A parent, her 16-month-old son and her 75-year-old mother were denied boarding onto a flight after allegedly using the “wrong” pronoun for a flight attendant.
Jenna Longoria, known online as The Period Guru, said she was left stranded in San Francisco, CA, after being ejected from her United Airlines flight home to Austin, TX for a “hate crime.”
Longoria uploaded a vlog from the airport in which she said her luggage – which contained her thyroid medication – had been taken on the plane.
“I was speaking to a flight attendant and got their pronouns wrong,” she told social media viewers.
Another flight attendant interjected, and despite Longoria’s apologies, she was refused onboard.
“I’m not very verse with pronouns. I was holding my son, he was having a temper tantrum, I had the car seat on my back – I wasn’t really focusing on anything except getting my son’s car seat on the flight and getting him comfortable and safe,” she added.
Longoria uploaded a follow-up nearly 24 hours later, saying she was home “after a very long day of travel” and was “still in shock”.
United Airlines claimed that the party of three were not allowed to board “following a discussion about having too many carry-on items”, according to local media.
Reaction to Longoria’s circumstances was largely critical of the airline, including from one parent of a transgender “son.”
Others suggested Longoria take legal action.
The case follows a somewhat woke week for aviation following reported guidance for politically correct terms to be used by airline pilots.
