Delta Air Lines says it will remove Chris Rock’s Kill the Messenger HBO comedy special from in-flight entertainment systems after Jeremy Foreshew, a Grindr employee, complained to Delta officials about a scene in which Rock explains the proper context in which it’s okay to use the word “faggot.”
GayTravel.com reports that Foreshew viewed the segment on a flight on his way home from spending several days with LGBT activists and non-profits on a project his company is working on:
“Having come from being with all these activists, knowing the current state of violence against the LGBT community, and knowing the current political climate… I just came to a place where I couldn’t believe this was something happening in 2016. When you think of the number of people who fly Delta every day and have access to that language… it just shocked me.”
Delta released a statement to GayTravel.com about the programming:
“The Chris Rock ‘Kill the Messenger’ segment should not have been uploaded on flights based on our criteria for excluding onboard programming that includes content featuring explicit language, slurs, extreme violence, and explicit scenes. We apologize to any customers who were offended by the content or our airing of the segment, and we are working as quickly as possible to remove it from our aircraft. Our commitment to inclusion and respect of all customers is rooted in Delta’s values and culture, and we proudly embrace diverse people, thinking and styles.”
Delta recently made headlines after screening copies of the Oscar-nominated Todd Haynes film Carol which had gay kissing scenes cut from it.
