Control over women’s bodies is without a doubt one of our society’s biggest problems and there is proof of this everywhere. Some women are denied access to planesor gyms, for example, because their clothes are considered too provocative. A few days ago, Kayla Eubanks, from America, had a similar experience. She was about to board a Southwest Airlines plane in Chicago when she was told by several employees that she could not board the plane in the outfit she was wearing.
Discover our latest podcast
The top of discord
It didn’t take long for Kayla Eubanks jump on Twitter to share her story.
I really wanna know why @SouthwestAir is policing my clothes like this. How will my shirt impact my flight, for myself, the other passengers, or even the pilot? Y’all have a dress code for CUSTOMERS who pay to get on a plane? It’s the constant policing of women’s bodies for me.
She then posted a photo of her outfit to social media accompanied by the following message:
Y’all I was KICKED OFF my @SouthwestAir flight because my boobs are 'lewd, obscene and offensive.' I was told that passengers may look at me in my attire and be offended.
The pilot steps in
Considering the situation and the comments made by the airline staff, Kayla Eubanks asked to see the policy which the staff claimed prohibited her from boarding the plane in the outfit she was wearing. At this point, the pilot was approached by the hostesses to try and calm the situation. The pilot then gave the young woman one of his T-shirts so that she could board the plane.
‘Should I leave [my breasts] at home?’
At the end of the flight, she walked over to airline employees present when the plane landed in order to return the pilot’s shirt. She was met by two Southwest Airline supervisors who told her that, in the future, she would not be allowed to fly in the outfit she was wearing. The young woman explained to them that no one was embarrassed by her outfit and the only ones bothered were the staff. She also asked how her outfit was classed as obscene, to which the supervisors responded that her top showed off a lot of her body. Kayla Eubanks then asked if she should leave her breasts at home next time. Although things did not get particularly heated, the two supervisors nevertheless did seem to become annoyed by the young woman and told her that if she wore a similar outfit next time she flew, she would not be allowed to board the plane, even daring her to ‘try it’ and see.
