- A Delta passenger was shocked earlier this month when her checked suitcase, which had a rainbow luggage tag, came back defaced with the word "sodomite."
- Delta is conducting an investigation on the matter.
- The vandal may be an employee of the airline, or a baggage handler with no affiliation with Delta.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Atlanta resident Renee Gerish checked her bag on a recent Delta flight from Boston - but what she got in return was unexpected.
She said on Twitter that her the rainbow luggage tag on the checked bag came back defaced with the word "sodomite."
While Gerish originally slammed the airline for allowing the defacement to happen, Delta has since followed up with her and is currently investigating the matter. They're reviewing security footage and interviewing employees at Boston and Atlanta. The person who defaced the suitcase may or may not have been a Delta employee.
"As a global carrier with a diverse workforce and customer base, we are committed to respecting and treating all passengers equally," a Delta spokesperson said in a statement sent to Business Insider. "We take this accusation seriously and are currently investigating the details to determine what occurred."
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It's not the first time a passenger's checked bag came back defaced. In 2013, an Australian man's suitcase came back with the words "I AM GAY" spelled out in stickers and plastered on his suitcase.
LGBTQ rights in air travel made it into the headlines this summer after an Alaska Airlines allegedly bumped a gay couple from their seats to make room for a straight couple.
"After my traveling companion and I had been seated in our assigned seats for a while, we were approached by the flight attendant and my companion was asked to move from his premium seat to coach, so a couple could sit together," David Cooley, the passenger, wrote in a Facebook post that was shared more than 2,000 times. "I explained that we were a couple and wanted to sit together. He was given a choice to either give up the premium seat and move to coach or get off the plane."
Ultimately, Cooley flew home with Delta.
Someone at Delta Air Lines baggage handling took it upon themselves to write "sodomite" on my 🌈 luggage tag. Bigotry, hate speech and destruction of personal property while in @Delta airline's care. I want this shared and on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community- I will not go quietly. pic.twitter.com/BzbG4n0jas
- Renee Gerrish (@recklessrita) September 12, 2019