Airline denies boarding to family with gay dads

TWO gay dads in the U.S. have said they were denied priority flight boarding because they weren’t considered a family by the airline.

Grant Morse, his husband Sam, their children aged three and five, and Morse’s mother were flying from New York to Florida with Southwest Airlines when they faced “horrific discrimination”, Pink News has reported.

Morse said an airline boarding agent approached the family as they prepared to board via the family boarding area, telling them, “this is family boarding.”

“My husband responded, ‘I know, we are a family’,” said Morse.

“She said, ‘Not all can go. This is family boarding.’”

Morse said the same staff member later blocked them from boarding, saying again, “You can’t go. This is for families only.”

“I asked why, since we are a family,” said Morse.

“She stated, ‘The kids and parents only.’

“Then she stated only one adult and three kids can board. I was shocked! She was actually denying family boarding to one of the legal fathers.”

Morse said the family was instead forced to be among the last to board the flight, calling it “blatant discrimination” and “an awful experience”.

A spokesperson for the airline said their family boarding policy allows priority boarding for one adult with children aged under six.