Queer rapper, poet, and performance artist Mykki Blanco was reportedly subject to a bizarre homophobic incident on Friday when traveling from Toronto to Detroit on a Delta Airlines flight. Jezebel reports that upon landing in Michigan, Blanco was awoken by a police officer; a seatmate had called the authorities to express concern over sitting beside Blanco on the short flight. “I just took a flight from Toronto to Detroit, Michigan and when I woke up the gentlemen sitting next to me had the police called,†Blanco explained on Twitter. “He said that he was not comfortable and did not know how @Delta allowed ‘someone like me’ to board the plane with him and sit next to him. This is REAL @Delta.â€
In an even stranger turn, the police officer allegedly sided with the passenger and threatened Blanco with jail time and FBI action if uncooperative. “Then I was told by a police officer that an FBI report would be made from our ‘interaction’, except I did not interact,†Blanco continued. “I was told I would ‘go to jail’ if I continued to ask questions about why this police officer was giving preferential treatment to this man. I was then told I could file a report myself and give ‘my side of the story’… but the entire incident itself is fabricated. This is the most bizarre form of homophobia I have ever encountered.†Delta promptly reached out to Blanco over Twitter to extend its apologies, ask for more information, and stress that “discrimination of any kind isn’t tolerated†on flights. Since Friday, Blanco relayed an additional message to Delta, hoping that the company can come forward to “provide proof that I slept through the entire flight.â€