Lesbian couple feared for safety during abuse on Jetstar flight

A lesbian couple say they were subjected to homophobic abuse by another passenger on a Jetstar flight, while staff failed to help them.

Cat Franke and Julz Evans were allegedly abused by an “intoxicated, arrogant man” sitting behind them on the New Year’s Eve flight, News.com.au has reported.

Franke reported in a Facebook post to Jetstar that the man kicked and punched their seats on the Melbourne to Perth flight, calling them “faggots, dykes and poofters”.

At midnight, when the couple tried to share a kiss, he allegedly pressed his face to the gap between their seats, demanding, “Kiss, come on, I want to see some lesbians kiss.”

Franke said the abuse continued for hours throughout the flight.

She alleged that staff on the flight ignored the man’s behaviour, even when he began harassing them as well, and continued to serve him alcohol until “he became so intoxicated he could barely walk straight”.

Franke said it was “the most awful verbal abuse and discrimination I have ever experienced” and that she and her partner feared being physically harmed by the man.

Another passenger who was on the flight verified in a Facebook comment that he saw the man shaking the seat in front of him.

After complaining to the airline, Franke and Evans have reportedly each received a $50 gift voucher from Jetstar while the incident is investigated.

The couple are calling for the man to be blacklisted from Jetstar flights.

A spokesperson for the airline said Jetstar did not tolerate discrimination and that the case would be submitted to the behaviour review panel for assessment.

Jetstar is owned by Qantas, whose chief executive officer Alan Joyce was a prominent campaigner for marriage equality.