Alaska Airlines Apologizes to Gay Couple

Alaska Airlines has issued an apology after the airline received widespread outrage for forcing a gay couple to separate to make room for a straight couple. The gay couple, which consisted of David Cooley who is the owner of the popular gay bar The Abbey, posted about the incident on social media, and it was quickly picked up by news outlets around the globe—even sparking protests from the gay community. 

The airline, though, said it was investigating the incident, and they have issued this apology: 

“This unfortunate incident was caused by a seating mix-up on a full flight. It’s our policy to keep all families seated together whenever possible. That didn’t happen here. We are sorry for the situation and did not intend to make Mr. Cooley and his partner feel uncomfortable in any way," the airline's statement said. 

Cooley tweeted on Tuesday that he's accepted the apology. "Thank you to everyone for all the support. @AlaskaAir has reached out, apologized, and we are discussing making things right."