Lufthansa Accused Of Outing “Discreet” Homosexual Couple To Saudi Arabian Authorities

Lufthansa is dealing with a lawsuit during which it’s being accused of outing a homosexual couple to the Saudi Arabian authorities, because of the indiscretion of a supervisor for the airline, who additionally reportedly demeaned the couple. That is fairly a wild story, and primarily based on the allegations, it positive looks as if they’ve some extent (due to an OMAAT reader who’s a lawyer for bringing this to my consideration)…

Lufthansa supervisor in Riyadh accused of indiscretion

This incident entails a homosexual couple, with one man being a United States citizen, and one man being a Saudi Arabian citizen. The couple had been collectively for over 30 years, in a “dedicated, however discreet” relationship, and spent most of their time dwelling in Saudi Arabia, however additionally they usually traveled to San Francisco. In 2013, they had been legally married in California.

Because it’s described, “dwelling very fastidiously, they efficiently saved their 33-year relationship a secret from the federal government, strangers, employers, mates, and household, alike.” That each one modified in Could 2021, when the couple wished to return to San Francisco, after being caught in Saudi Arabia for over a yr, as a consequence of pandemic restrictions.

On the time, the USA banned non-citizen vacationers from Saudi Arabia from getting into the USA, except that they had speedy household who had been United States residents. The couple claimed they booked Lufthansa over different airways as a result of they anticipated that Lufthansa could be discreet in dealing with their martial standing for the needs of the USA entry necessities.

When the couple arrived at Riyadh Airport to check-in, the Lufthansa agent requested that the Saudi Arabian citizen present his familial relationship that granted him entry to the USA. In order that they requested to talk to probably the most senior Lufthansa official on the airport, who was the deputy station supervisor. Whereas out of earshot of anybody, the couple defined they had been married.

The deputy station supervisor reportedly turned loud and hostile, declaring loudly that he couldn’t consider they had been married. Even after presenting the wedding certificates, the supervisor continued to publicly demean and query the connection.

They had been then taken to Lufthansa’s workplace on the airport, in order that copies of the passports and marriage certificates may very well be despatched to Lufthansa’s headquarters. They expressed concern in regards to the Saudi authorities intercepting these communications, however these issues had been ignored. They requested the deputy supervisor to name the station supervisor, however he reportedly refused to talk to them.

The couple had been allowed to board, however had been shaken by what occurred. Lengthy story quick, there have been a variety of communication failures (Lufthansa claimed they’d attain out to them, however by no means did), however right here’s the place it will get problematic.

Round a month after the incident, the Saudi Arabian citizen found that his marital standing on his Saudi authorities profile was modified from “single” to “married,” and so they allege that “there isn’t any conceivable means the Saudi Arabian authorities may have realized about Plaintiffs’ marriage aside from because of” what occurred on this Lufthansa flight.

The Saudi Arabian citizen by no means returned dwelling once more

Since this incident, the Saudi Arabian citizen hasn’t returned to his dwelling nation, “for worry of harsh penalties for being gay, together with the revocation of his passport, imprisonment, and even execution.”

As an alternative, he has remained in the USA, first via a visa, after which via a Inexperienced Card. He has additionally not seen his household because the incident. All of them stay in Saudi Arabia, and don’t find out about his sexuality.

Because of this, the couple additionally claims they needed to promote actual property in Saudi Arabia, incurring a lack of round $300K. The Saudi citizen additionally claims to have developed pulmonary fibrosis, a terminal sickness, which he claims is a results of the stress from the incident.

In 2024, a decide had dominated that the lawsuit couldn’t proceed in California, as a result of whereas Lufthansa does enterprise in California, “plaintiffs failed to point out that their claims come up out of or relate to defendants’ actions in California.” Nonetheless, that wasn’t the tip of this. America Court docket of Appeals for the Ninth District has simply issued a call, reversing the earlier choice.

My tackle this Lufthansa Saudi Arabia lawsuit

I’m not a lawyer, so I’m not going to assert to have tackle the authorized foundation of this lawsuit. Nonetheless, I definitely really feel unhealthy for this couple, and have a number of ideas:

• Greater image, I really feel unhealthy for this Saudi Arabian citizen, as I can solely think about the stress he has felt dwelling within the closet for many years; I do know that is so frequent in lots of components of the world, however I’m grateful that I can simply be myself and stay brazenly, and have the acceptance of household and mates
• Disgrace on this deputy station supervisor for his lack of discretion; I perceive he would possibly personally take points with the way in which different folks stay their lives, however one would hope that staff for a German airline are skilled with regards to respect and tolerance in step with the values of that firm, at a minimal (for what it’s value, this man nonetheless appears to work at Lufthansa, primarily based on his LinkedIn)
• I’m interested by how the data sharing may’ve truly occurred right here; does this should be one thing as nefarious because the Saudi Arabian authorities “intercepting” these communications, or the supervisor proactively reporting this to the federal government, or is there only a sure degree of data sharing between governments?
• I additionally don’t truly know what sort of repercussions this man would face; admittedly a citizen would possibly face harsher punishments than a foreigner, since usually there aren’t legal guidelines towards “being homosexual” (as in… having homosexual ideas), however as an alternative, the legal guidelines are towards appearing on it, and many others.
• I’m curious if the accusations can truly be confirmed, past there simply being a hunch that this factor that occurred at Lufthansa check-in triggered all of this; sure, it appears probably, however is it past an affordable doubt?

Backside line

Lufthansa is dealing with a lawsuit over a 2021 incident, the place an American and Saudi Arabian homosexual couple had been touring from Saudi Arabia to the USA. Attributable to pandemic restrictions, they needed to show their marriage so as to enter the USA.

The Lufthansa supervisor at Riyadh Airport was reportedly extremely impolite to them, didn’t consider they had been married, and have become loud and hostile. A month later, the Saudi Arabian citizen observed his authorities profile confirmed his marital standing as being up to date, from “single” to “married.”

He hasn’t returned to Saudi Arabia since, which means he hasn’t seen his household, and he claims to have even developed critical well being points because of the stress from this incident.

What do you make of this Lufthansa “outing” state of affairs?