United Airlines prevented two young girls from boarding a flight on Sunday because they were wearing leggings, and you can bet that people are mad as hell.
1) A @united gate agent isn’t letting girls in leggings get on flight from Denver to Minneapolis because spandex is not allowed?
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
2) She’s forcing them to change or put dresses on over leggings or they can’t board. Since when does @united police women’s clothing?
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
3) Gate agent for flt 215 at 7:55. Said she doesn’t make the rules, just follows them. I guess @united not letting women wear athletic wear?
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
.@united They just boarded after being forced to change or put dresses on over the top of their clothing. Is this your policy?
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
While it definitely exposes some double standards re: appropriate clothing for women, this story would never have escalated quite so much if it wasn’t for United’s boneheaded reply.
@united @shannonrwatts Rule 21 implies removal of passenger once aboard carrier. Also, ‘properly clothed’ isn’t defined. Leggings improper? pic.twitter.com/pgp4wLEOSA
— wyatt nerp (@reaganschmagan) March 26, 2017
Watts responded that one of the girls was “a 10-year-old in grey leggings. She looked normal and appropriate. Apparently @united is policing the clothing of women and girls.”
Sensing a burgeoning PR crisis, United looked into the situation a little further, and determined that these girls were pass riders, a.k.a. United employees (or their fams) with flight privileges (they get ’em for cheap, provided there’s seats).
It should be noted that the girls’ dad was allowed on the flight in shorts.
1) 3 girls inspected for wearing perfectly acceptable leggings. 2 not allowed to board. I don’t care what kind of passengers they were. https://t.co/9VwGKgvWys
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
2) This behavior is sexist and sexualizes young girls. Not to mention that the families were mortified and inconveninced.
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
3) As the mother of 4 daughters who live and travel in yoga pants, I’d like to know how many boys @United has penalized for the same reason.
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
4) Their father, who was allowed to board with no issue, was wearing shorts.
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) March 26, 2017
This situation, while not great, would never have escalated into the story it has if United Airline’s responses weren’t so incredibly dumb.
@PattyArquette Casual attire is allowed as long as it looks neat and is in good taste for the local environment. (1/2)
— United (@united) March 26, 2017
@united @PattyArquette Friendly Advice, United: No one is nearly as offended by a little girl in spandex as they are by this situation.
— Nick Bolton (@NickBolton13) March 26, 2017
We’ve even reached the point where celebrities are weighing in.
I have flown united before with literally no pants on. Just a top as a dress. Next time I will wear only jeans and a scarf.
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) March 26, 2017
Duly noted, @united… Still, the punitive measures taken are not a good look! pic.twitter.com/1rBW9eSLBb
— LeVar Burton (@levarburton) March 26, 2017
Leggings have become a focal point in recent years in the conversation around the policing of women’s bodies, and the sexualisation of young girls (“don’t wear leggings to school, it’ll distract the boys” kind of stuff).
Ladies, when was the first time you were made to feel embarrassed and sexualized for what you wore? I was in 5th grade, shorts too short.
— Dana Schwartz (@DanaSchwartzzz) March 26, 2017
@DanaSchwartzzz 4th or 5th grade. Gray leggings were inappropriate. Nothing else was clean, but I didn’t tell them that
— Erin El Issa (@Erin_El_Issa) March 26, 2017
@DanaSchwartzzz early example, though not the first: when my male boss told me (14) that I’d be really hot when I was 16
— Rani Molla (@ranimolla) March 26, 2017
In my HS girls had to wear oversized t-shirts that said “I violated the dress code” if tank tops/leggings/etc. were deemed “inappropriate” https://t.co/DC7KB4pnQ4
— Laura Wagner (@Laura_M_Wagner) March 26, 2017
Photo: United Airlines / Facebook.
