By Tyler O’Neil
Liberal actress Lena Dunham is on the warpath against “transphobic talk.” When she overheard two American Airlines flight attendants discussing transgender issues among themselves, she contacted American Airlines to officially report the employees who dared question the liberal orthodoxy.
Ironically, Dunham had just waited an hour on a plane, and was then forced to get off. She gave the airline a pass for that, but she publicly denounced two flight attendants for their unacceptable “transphobic talk.”
Importantly, the flight attendants — while dressed in their uniforms — were not overseeing a group of passengers or interacting with transgender people. They were just passing by, talking among themselves in the airport hallway. Dunham wants a say over what these women can tell each other — not in the presence of others, but just as they stroll along in an airport.
“At this moment in history we should be teaching our employees about love and inclusivity, American Airlines. That was the worst part of this night,” Dunham tweeted, after being allowed to board a plane, waiting for an hour, and then being forced off of it. Hearing “transphobic talk” was worse than being forced off an airplane after an hour of sitting.
That wasn’t enough for Dunham, however. She sent a Twitter message to American Airlines, effectively requesting that the airline fire its “transphobic” employees.
“Hi! I heard 2 female attendants walking talking about how trans kids are a trend they’d never accept a trans kid and transness is gross,” Dunham said in a message to the airline. “I think it reflects badly on uniformed employees of your company to have that kind of dialogue going on. What if a trans teen was walking behind them?”
Dunham later shared a screenshot of the company’s response. American Airlines thanked her for the info, and promised, “We’re passing this along to our team to review.”
In a statement to ABC News, American Airlines confirmed that an investigation is taking place.
“We are looking into these allegations,” the airline told ABC News. “From the team members we hire to the customers we serve, inclusion and diversity is a way of life at American Airlines. Every day, our team members work to make American a place where people of all generations, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religious affiliations and backgrounds feel welcome and valued.”
What about those people whose “religious affiliations” and scientific viewpoints disagree with the idea that people who believe they were “born in the wrong body” should be encouraged to change their gender, get cross-sex hormones, or have transition surgery? What about people who honestly are concerned about the dangers of encouraging transgenderism among children?
If Dunham’s account is right, and these flight attendants said they’d “never accept a trans kid,” perhaps the attendants do need to realize that the unconditional love of a parent is more important than encouraging healthy sexual identity. Even those who emphatically reject transgender ideology still encourage parents not to abandon their children when those kids struggle with gender dysphoria.
But Dunham’s eagle eye for “transphobic talk” suggests that she might have been twisting these women’s words. The idea that “transness is gross” is a commonly held position, and people have free speech to say what they think about such issues.
Make no mistake, Dunham was attempting to stifle debate on the issue, and to stigmatize anyone who disagrees with her “inclusive” position. This became even more clear when she tweeted a further statement on the issue.
“For those who followed my airport saga yesterday, here’s my takeaway: these days it’s the little things. A smile. Offering a seat. Respect,” she tweeted.
Where’s Dunham’s respect for those who legitimately disagree with her dogmatic position that transgenderism is healthy and should be encouraged? Dunham did not witness a grimace shown from the attendants to a transgender person. She did not see an attendant refuse to give a seat to a transgender person, or refuse to show respect.
In this statement, Dunham was stigmatizing discussion about transgenderism and the expression of being uncomfortable with it. She was equating her attempt to silence these flight attendants with a showing of “respect” and giving a “smile.”
There’s Lena Dunham, preaching about smiles and respect while she reports two flight attendants, trying to get them fired for speaking their minds about cultural issues. Talk about virtue signaling.