An employee for USAir, who happened to have the last name of Gay, got on a
plane recently using one of his company's "Free Flight" programs. However,
when Mr.. Gay tried to take his seat, he found it
being occupied by a paying passenger. So, not to make a fuss, he simply
chose another seat nearby.

Unknown to Mr.. Gay, another USAir flight at the airport experienced
mechanical problems. The passengers of this other flight were being
rerouted to various airplanes. A few were put on Mr.. Gay's flight
and anyone who was holding a "free" ticket was being "bumped."

Airline officials, armed with a list of these "freebie" ticket holders
boarded the plane to remove the free ticket holders. Of course, our Mr..
Gay was not sitting in his assigned seat as you may remember. So
when the Ticket Agent approached the seat where Mr.. Gay was supposed to be
sitting, she asked a startled customer "Are you Gay?". The man shyly nodded
that he was, at which point she demanded:
"Then you have to get off the plane."

Our Mr.. Gay, overhearing what the Ticket Agent had said, tried to clear up
the situation: "You've got the wrong man. I'm Gay!". This caused an angry
third passenger to yell "Hell, I'm gay too! They
can't kick us all off!"

Confusion reined as more and more passengers began yelling that USAir had no
right to remove gays from their flights.