The American airline United Airlines has come under fire after barring two girls from boarding a flight on Sunday morning because they were wearing leggings.
Activist Shannon Watts documented the episode on Twitter after witnessing airline staff demand the girls put dresses on over their leggings before boarding the plane.
In a second tweet, Watts said she questioned the gate agent who made the girls put dresses on and was told that "she doesn't make the rules, just follows them".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watts added that the airline's action was "sexist and sexualises young girls".
Her tweets set off "waves of anger" on social media, says the New York Times.
Model Chrissy Teigen expressed her displeasure and told her 4.7 million followers she had flown with fewer clothes on in the past:
Other celebrities and their followers threatened to stop flying with the airline.
Seeing a PR disaster in the making, United Airlines staff rapidly sent "dozens of tweets", says the New York Times, and explained that the policy enforced on the girls in question did not apply to all passengers.
The airline said the group deemed inappropriately dressed were "pass travellers" – employees of the airline or their family members, who are allowed to travel for free when flights are not fully booked, but were subject to a strict dress code.
This was not enough to satisfy many critics, however. Comedian Sarah Silverman said the rules were still sexist, to whomever they applied. She tweeted:
-
What is at stake for Starmer in ChinaToday’s Big Question The British PM will have to ‘play it tough’ to achieve ‘substantive’ outcomes, while China looks to draw Britain away from US influence
-
How the ‘British FBI’ will workThe Explainer New National Police Service to focus on fighting terrorism, fraud and organised crime, freeing up local forces to tackle everyday offences
-
The best family hotels in EuropeThe Week Recommends Top kid-friendly hotels with clubs, crèches and fun activities for children of all ages – and some downtime for the grown-ups
-
China’s Xi targets top general in growing purgeSpeed Read Zhang Youxia is being investigated over ‘grave violations’ of the law
-
Panama and Canada are negotiating over a crucial copper mineIn the Spotlight Panama is set to make a final decision on the mine this summer
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
