Gay couple accuses United of taping sex toy to their luggage

A gay couple filed a lawsuit this week against United Continental Airlines, after accusing the airline of taping a sex toy to the outside of their luggage in Houston last year.

The couple, Christopher Bridgeman and Martin Borger, had a layover at George Bush Intercontinental Airport when travelling from Costa Rica to their home in Norfolk, Virginia on May 21, 2011, according to a civil lawsuit filed in the Harris County District Court this week.

The lawsuit alleges that after going through customs, the couple re-checked their bags in Houston and then boarded their flight to Virginia. When picking up their bags at the baggage carousel in Norfolk, the men discovered "to their horror" that a private sex toy had been removed from one of their bags, covered in a greasy, foul-smelling substance and taped prominently to the top of their bag, the lawsuit alleges.

The suit states that the couple experienced extreme "shock and horror" when seeing the bag and when they saw the laughing and surprised faces of others in the baggage claim area. The men claim they had severe emotional trauma after the incident, which they allege had a significant negative impact on their daily lives and has required treatment from mental health professionals.

Bridgeman and Borger, who have been together for about nine years, believe the incident was a hate crime, meant to intentionally humiliate them. They blame the airline, believing they should take responsibility for anything that happens to luggage on its watch.

They couple recalled Wednesday that as the sex toy became visible around the carousel people began pointing, snickering, shaking their heads and covering their mouths with their hands in shock.

"It was a horrific experience," Borger said.

The suit claims that then-Continental Airlines employees searched through the luggage, defiled the sex toy and taped it in on the bag with the intent to inflict extreme emotional distress and mental anguish. It states that there is a high likelihood that "these egregious acts were directed toward the plaintiff's because they are homosexuals and because they are males."

United spokeswoman Christen David said Wednesday that the airline found no support for the allegations.

"United does not tolerate discrimination of any kind," David said in an email statement. "After conducting a thorough investigation, we determined that there is no support for this allegation. Nonetheless, we offered these valued customers a gesture of goodwill which they declined. We will vigorously defend ourselves and our employees."

The couple is asking for damages, suing for negligence, emotional trauma and privacy violations directed at them because of their sexual orientation, according to the lawsuit. The couple now avoids taking planes, opting to travel more by bus or train.

"I have stopped trusting people as much as I used to," Borger said. "It has changed our lives."

The couple's attorney said in a statement released Wednesday that the lawsuit was filed "to redress the harm they have suffered as a result of United Continental's callous disregard for their most basic rights."

"Sadly, in this instance, United Continental clearly did not share that belief and instead chose to humiliate Christopher and Martin by crudely exposing a very personal and private item. United Continental's conduct was reprehensible and should be shocking to all. With this lawsuit, our clients hope to effect change at an airline, and to an industry, that has clearly lost sight of the importance of personal privacy, human dignity, and respect," attorney Harry L. Scarborough said in a statement.