
A gay catholic flight attendant who was fired by United Airlines after he told a colleague during a flight that “men don’t give birth, women don’t have penises” has raised enough money through a GoFundMe page to sue the Chicago-based carrier for wrongful dismissal.
Ruben Sanchez, a veteran flight attendant who had worked for United Airlines for nearly 28 years before he was suddenly fired in January 2024, claims the airline has become “increasingly hostile” to employees with traditional religious or conservative political beliefs.
Sanchez’s story and allegations of discrimination at the hands of United first came to light last November when he set up his legal fundraiser. Despite going through months of “anguish and stress,” Sanchez says he’s not interested in “vengeance, retaliation, or causing economic harm” against United and simply wants his job back.
Having come to the belief that his legal fight is what “God wants me to engage in,” Sanchez has now filed a lawsuit in a California district court, with both United Airlines and the flight attendant union named as defendants.
Describing himself as an openly gay Roman Catholic, Sanchez first came to the attention of his bosses for alleged homophobic and transphobic beliefs in May 2023 when, during a redeye flight from Los Angeles to Cleveland, he had a private conversation with a colleague.
During this conversation, Sanchez admits that he discussed Catholic theology, including about marriage and sexuality, in the context of ‘Pride Month’ which United actively participates in.
Sanchez told his coworker that he believes marriage can only be between a man and a woman and that a person is unable to change his or her sex. The conversation, the lawsuit claims, was in low voices and out of earshot of passengers.
Despite this claim, United received a complaint via its X account from a person who “expresses joy when they’re double penetrated anally.” Sanchez was accused of being transphobic, although an investigation proved that the allegations were meritless.
Nonetheless, United Airlines started to comb through Sanchez’s social media account for other evidence and later selected 35 posts from his X account that it claimed proved Sanchez lacked dignity, respect and professionalism.
At the time, Sanchez had made, liked or commented on more than 140,000 posts, meaning that the evidence United relied upon represented just 0.02% of his history on X (formally Twitter).
While Sanchez says that he appreciates the Elon Musk-owned social network has never attempted to censor his free speech, he accuses United of attempting to “exercise complete and unfettered control over Sanchez’s X posts/speech through an overbroad reading of its social media and ‘Working Together’ policies.
Although Sanchez does not identify himself as a United Airlines flight attendant on his X account, he has posted photos of himself in uniform, including one in which he is carrying a pilot across his shoulders.
On the same account, Sanchez reposted and liked posts that are critical of linking the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual movement with the Transgender movement. Sanchez maintains that it is his political opinion that the “transgender movement is distinct and does not further the “LGB” movement.”
Sanchez sought help from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) but after local representatives initially agreed to support him and reassured him that he hadn’t done anything wrong, the union made a sudden u-turn when the case reached its national master executive council.
The lawsuit alleges that the “termination of Sanchez’s employment was substantially motivated by United’s disagreement with Sanchez’s political beliefs” and that it “served as an implicit warning and message to United’s other employees that the expression of views departing from liberal perspectives on race, political figures, the transgender movement, and public health issues would not be tolerated.”
As for the flight attendant union, Sanchez says AFA wrongly refused to help because it had failed to win other social media disciplinary cases. Sanchez believes that if the union had evaluated his case, then the outcome would have been very different.
With the lawsuit only just underway, Sanchez is now working as an active-duty member of the Air National Guard in Alaska.
“Bottom line is, I was terminated based on a supervisor’s opinion of what type of person I was, based off of reading some random tweets that all started when a customer complained about me saying men don’t give birth, women don’t have penises, and the Catholic church could never approve of gay marriage as it is a Sacrament,” Sanchez concludes on his GoFundMe page.
Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant at the most prominent airline in the Middle East and has been flying ever since... most recently for a well known European airline. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt's industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism.
People do not realize that when one posts ANYTHING on social media, the risk of “offending” someone else, one’s employer, church, other business can result in serious problems for the “poster”. Younger people, who have grown up posting everything about themselves…and I mean EVERYTHING, run a huge risk later in life that their posts will come back to haunt them. Corporations and employers of all sizes and industries do their best to protect the corporate image. When an employee posts anything that could imply corporate involvement, the company can, and should, protect its image. While I sympathize with this flight attendant, posting a picture of himself…IN UNIFORM…hoisting a pilot IN UNIFORM in a somewhat provocative pose, the company can and should protect its image. Sorry “scooter”, if I was on the jury and saw this picture or something similar, you would lose.
And right there your attitude is exactly the issue in our culture. You are THE problem.
It’s funny. The same people who say that everyone needs to have some personal responsibility are ALWAYS upset when they have to take personal responsibility.
United has to rigidly protect its brand.
United (and likely other carriers) make it extremely clear when you are hired and trained that you have to uphold the company’s image even if there is simply the -perception- of connection.
Anyway – why can’t a corporation simply decide how it wants to manage its employees and brand?
That dude is free to go work for an airline with less restrictive policies.
Can’t wait until people get fired for what they posted on Tiktok when they were in 3rd grade.
Already happened with the “racist by birth” cult.
silly comparison. Do better
Look at today’s political scene. Ten years ago it would have been a “silly comparison.” Now here we are.
United can employ or unemploy whoever they want.
It’s a business.. not a daycare.
If it reflects badly on the company, risks brand damage or inflict financial or legal challenges, then go work somewhere else.
there are PLENTY of people who would be a better fit for the role. Actions do have consequences. It’s life.
I have a simple rule and it always works. Don’t discuss anything personal,or about race, politics,or religion at work. And all of my social media accounts are private. This guy got exactly what he deserved.
I agree. I am continually appalled with the kinds of discussions that people seem to find appropriate in the wotkplace.
You would have a good life and career in modern Russia of Soviet Union.
You would have a good life and career in modern Russia OR Soviet Union (USSR).
You are correct. In this day and age, one has to be careful not to “offend anyone”. Due to my former military AFSC and the compartmentalized security clearance that went with it, I still practice the philosophy that my Dad and others who fought in WW II, “Loose lips sink ships”. If this flight attendant expressed his views with NO identifying information as to his employer, hey…fine. Knock yourself out. Have at it. However, any implication as to the employer…THAT is crossing a line that the company has to deal with to protect its image and its brand. Buh bye when the employee crosses that line. In this case, based on the photograph alone… the flight attendant is toast! If the laws were made to where “looser pays”, many of these frivolous lawsuits wouldn’t take place.
I am not seeing why I should agree with this guy. You don’t talk about your privately held personal religious beliefs at work. It is that simple. And to be clear a persons gender or sex has absolutely nothing to do with any of our religious perspectives and only to do with them and their life. I happen to be very suspicious of religion in general but I don’t discuss this with people at work as what would I be hoping to achieve?
Thre is freedom of religion, which includes voicing related private opinion, if you have not noticed. Till somebody tells him to shut up and find another target, as freedom of one ends where freedom of another begins. But that’s not what apparently happened here.
Hope this guys wins! This woke DEI BS has to stop.
It’s people like you that is the problem in this country…… And you being against DEI is saying you’re against civil rights…. But I’m sure your fellow klansmen would agree with your racist views
What is DEI.. here we go with saying anything because the felon cult leader says it. This is why so many people are upset with themselves because they thought DEI was for black people. The group of people who benefited from DEI were veterans and white women. Grown people can do their research and just look at a news channel that spits opinions vs facts.
Nothing to do with DEI or woke crap. This dude was whining all day at work about what offended him. So, he’s on your side. Haha
You prefer that it’s perfectly okay to pick fights with coworkers or customers on company time? Personal responsibility much!
Or is that only for people whose beliefs you support? What if a Muslim flight attendant wanted to broadcast his thoughts about Christians, unveiled women, and so on? Or an avowed racist wanted to disclose his beliefs in a social media post while wearing his company uniform? How many more examples can we think of?
He’s gay. he IS a DEI recipient.
He IS a benefactor of DEI.
I agree with United Airlines. A gay man’s verbalized transphobic beliefs and comments while at work speaks volumes about his poor character.. And without good character, I can’t see how he could ever treat United airlines customers with dignity and respect…….. Which day deserve..
Wait he’s openly gay but homophobic? I’m confused.
Corporations love any excuse to fire someone who is senior and approaching an expensive (for the company) retirement benefit. 30 years ago an airline might have fired someone for stating the exact opposite opinion.
Employees should be able to have conversations such as the one he had. Who cares about his private social media account. It has no affect on United Airlines or its passenger satisfaction.
I don’t get it. Why would he need a GoFundMe page to pay for his lawsuit? If he had a legitimate claim, an attorney would take it on a contingency or for the publicity of his/her practice. There is something more here that is not in this article.
I’m a gay man. I have nothing against people who are transgender, but they are not part of my “community”. It is depressing that LGBTQ groups are overwhelmingly heterosexual now.
He hates other queer people but loves the pedophilic Catholic church… unsurprising.
Good riddance! My job just fired a “gay republican” exhibiting similar behavior. Obsessed with talking about everything that offended him but yelled “woke” when someone told him to stfu. Man child needing all the attention
Does this guy even comprehend the fact that his religious beliefs completely contradict his lifestyle? Seems like he’s running a little light in the brain cell department. I’ll never understand why people believe in and follow a religion that literally says they are wrong for existing and that God does not care about them. What the heck?
When working in the public sector especially those jobs that involve direct contact with customer you SHOULD NOT REFLECT OR REVEAL your personal opinions about politics , religion , race or sexual preference. For one its highly unprofessional and you really do not know whom you may possibly offend or whom maybe overhearing your convesations. I worked for an airline for 30 years until my retirement and I am also a gay man but no one ever knew it as it was personal and something you just do not discuss with anyone and no ones business but my own. If he kept his conversations discreet and his sexual preference he would still have a job. Sorry buddy you reap what you sow.
Regardless of where you stand on issues, especially right now. You don’t openly speak on them at work and definitely not where customers can hear you. Or if you do, expect things like this to happen.
Is his Callsign ‘Dirty’?
1. “Formally”? Really? At least we know this wasn’t written by an AI.
2. Gay guy who is anti-trans will learn the hard way whose next after the trans folks get yeeted. Marginalized groups would be wise to have each others’ backs. Just sayin’.
3. Give this idiot his job back but nothing else. And double down on the policy: no discussion of politics or religion on company time.
Spell check messed with me! I promise!
And he’ll lose. Because that’s how the at-will employment the anti-DEI states prefer works.
Seems like United went out of its way to fire this guy. At a maximum, he should have been written up for discussing the topic while on the job (although it was a private conversation between 2people) and that be the end of it. Diving into employees personal email to find anything they consider “inappropriate” seems egregious and far reaching and violates his 1st amendment rights and his right to exercise his religious beliefs (Catholics seem to be targets, I doubt a Muslim or conservative Jew would face the same consequences, if any). Hope he is successful and is awarded a substantial amount.
The First Amendment only applies to the government. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” There are a few caveats that pertains to certain pornography, the “yelling fire” in a crowded theater type scenario, etc.
He has traditional religious and conservative beliefs, and is gay at the same time? What a self loather he must be.