The Girlfriends S6/E7: Which Side Are You On?

0:00This is an iHarp podcast Guaranteed human This message is brought to you by Ralph's if you're listening to this podcast Chances are you like to make the most of your time that kind of thinking can go a long way at home too And with Kroger you can plan ahead by stocking your kitchen with fresh groceries and everyday Essentials making the rest of your day feel easier right from the start order online and pick up groceries at your local Ralph's Ralph's serving so cal for over 150 years Want to know you're on the best path to the right car Start at car max where every car is car max certified and backed by a 10-day money back guarantee at a price that's up front from the start Visit carmax.com for details want to drive car max Power slab 24 arrives in Las Vegas on Friday, October 9th at the Chelsea Theater at the Cosmopolitan If you've never been to a power slab event now is your chance to see one of the most exciting live sporting events on the planet

1:03Power slab tickets in Las Vegas started $60 and can be purchased on ticket master or power slab.com That's Friday, October 9th and Las Vegas at the Cosmopolitan tickets are on sale now. Don't miss out on this one of a kind live event I love a brighter smile what I don't love is that little Wints when I take a sip of something cold or even Reath and cold air you know that feeling that takes your breath away the Ouch Eek that's why I like Sensodyne clinical white its triple action formula whiteens Holishes and helps protect against sensitivity plus it protects against new stains for up to six months So I can keep enjoying my iced coffee and everything else I love without the sensitivity Wider teeth without the wints try sensitive clinical white today Think about it when it comes to your own food you can walk into a restaurant see what's being made and know exactly what you're getting But with dog food most brands keep that completely hidden

2:05Just food for dogs does the opposite they've built their entire brand around open kitchens You can actually walk in and watch them prepare your dogs meals with real human grade ingredients like chicken beef Carrots and peas cooked right there in front of you No mystery no behind the scenes you're not allowed to see that kind of transparency is rare in the pet food world And it's a big reason they've become the number one vet recommended fresh dog food earning trust from pet parents who want to feel confident in what they're feeding when a brand is willing to show you Exactly how your dogs food is made. It says a lot about the care quality and standards behind every meal they produce Nothing to hide everything to love Go to just food for dogs.com and get 50% off your first order novel

3:05Whisperts that's how it starts There being exchanged between a few American airline stewardesses in galleys and operation rooms across the country The small group of conspirators are murmuring about a rebellion a kudita of sorts As those grumblings get louder the stewardesses realize they need to call a meeting in secret The only by invitation would you be going American airline stewardess Pat Gibbs is tapped on the shoulder by one of the women a Rebel named Carol And she said you know they really need you you have the experience now you know enough that you can help After all it's a mid-1970s and Pat has been working for a a for more than a decade For the majority of that time she's been involved in the union. She knows a job backwards and forwards

4:10And she knows the machinations of upper management pretty well too Pat boards an early flight from her base in Dallas to attend the clandestine meeting in Los Angeles We had to do it in this person's apartment I Walked in and sat down and kind of looked around they had a sign-in sheet that we were doing and everybody said If you want to put your home number go ahead if you don't want to don't The women are being cagey about recording their attendance because they've gathered to float a radical idea Something that could have serious ramifications They're there to discuss leaving their current union the TWU The TWU is run by men and encompasses hundreds of thousands of transport workers

5:10But the stewardesses in LA announced they want to form a new union a new union run by us How did you react at that moment when you learned like what the idea was? I thought it was a difficult idea to pull off but we thought it would change everything For us that it would give us stronger bargaining power We were dreaming that we would be able to achieve Getting rid of the weight issues getting rid of these discriminatory policies that the airlines use to control us These dreams are intoxicating for someone like Pat who felt sidelined by the men in the TWU After they'd let her down and contract negotiations a few years earlier Pat had figured they'd never truly advocate for what the stewardesses want

6:11She's riding high on just the idea of breaking away from this patriarchal organization But then reality brings her down to earth I knew what the stakes would be if it didn't happen We would all be kicked out of the TWU brought up on like trees and For going with another union or thinking about that Just announcing they wanted to form a new union would mean Pat would lose her current union position Something that had become so central to her identity But we felt like with enough power and You know enough members the back us on this it could happen and That we could make significant changes The handful of flight attendants at the meeting spend the day weighing the pros and cons We had enough people there that if we all agreed to do this we could go back and start recruiting

7:18Others to join us The conspirators look at each other Then they take a vote Hand start popping up like prairie dogs It's settled they would try to form a new union And they land on a name for their new group the association of professional flight attendants APFA The word professional isn't in there by accident by the way It's a claxon these flight attendants have had enough of being treated like temporary easily replaceable workers They are professionals and they want everyone to know it But there's a crucial obstacle Something they have to do to even hold an election deciding between founding their new union or sticking with the TWU They need to get the majority of the American Airlines do it is to declare that they're on their side

8:22By signing a card You have to have at least 50% plus one card saying I want to be in this other union it says I Hereby Authorize the association of professional flight attendants to be my collective bargaining agent and I wish to have an election and you have one year From when you start the organizing the date on the first card triggers the start date The stewardesses in LA take a deep breath They have one year to convince thousands of their colleagues to descent against one of the most influential unions in the country

9:27Most of the meeting was concentrated on how are we going to pull this off I'm somebody that it's single-minded If you're going to do it you have to do it From the teams at novel and I heart podcasts this is the girlfriend's season six flight or fight This is your host speaking now McShane Wolfheart I

10:38Episode seven which side are you on For Decades love field was the main airport servicing the Dallas, Texas area But in the winter of 1974 a new facility opens its doors These days DFW is like most airports you're surrounded by a Cophony of overhead announcements starbucks espresso machines and children screaming with the pitch and vigor of a boiling kettle But in the 1970s this place was all elegance Pat remembers her first impressions the airport was awesome to walk into It was all clean smelled clean windows were clean. You could see out You know, so it was quite impressive The first commercial flight that lands here is greeted by two fire trucks spurting arches of water in a kind of

11:44liquid guard of honor for a stewardess like pat the facilities are a definite upgrade You were very happy to be Going out of a nice airport and not some rinky dink little place Then there's the most futuristic feature the air trans system These are those computer operated trains that whisk people from terminal to terminal These days yeah, they're whatever but in the 1970s you might as well have been boarding a spaceship And the stations became a campaign ground for pat and the other stewardesses who wanted the new independent union APFA We would start in the air-tran building and We would put like stickers Vote APFA we'd put them on their columns in the air trance This was probably vandalism and definitely against management's wishes

12:47We would many times hop on the air-tran when we saw management coming So they would then have to get on the air-tran and try to catch us and Then we could catch the next air-tran out It was like a cat and mouse type thing After pat and her band of sticker-wielding rebels begin spreading the word about APFA It doesn't take long for the TWU to find out And after 12 years of working in the union and its subsidiaries pat gets a letter. She's been turfed out I didn't care that I had been kicked out because I Resigned my membership to begin with when I started working for the other union To be clear pat broke up with the TWU and they didn't break up with her exactly Sidebar if you haven't already overdosed on union acronyms

13:50You're gonna get another hit as you heard in the last episode The stewardesses were once part of the union called alsa That was a subsidiary of the TWU By this point alsa has broken up And now the American Airlines flight attendants are clustered under a local chapter of the TWU called local 552 But all you need to know is that pat and her comrades want to break away from the TWU entirely To make their own independent union that they're in control of The flip side of being in TWU exile was it pat was now liberated to fully dedicate herself to promoting the APFA The clock was ticking after all She and the other APFA supporters had just 12 months to get more than 50% of the stewardesses to sign their authorization cards It's time for the rebels to get creative We set up union headquarters in this

14:55building that I owned and we had The 1-800 phone there and you could make your recordings. It was like on a tape The APFA stewardesses bought a 1-800 number and sat the phone atop some old boxes in their makeshift office If you called in you'd hear a message I imagine it like Welcome to the APFA hotline where we tell you about the various sins of our TWU overlords Press 1 to hear why they still haven't secured a single hotel rooms on layovers Do you want to share a room with another stewardess forever? Press 2 to hear why we still have to be so skinny and 3 If you want to know why the TWU isn't doing a damn thing to help pregnant stewardesses who have been fired We had a yellow sheet that became our union newsletter

15:58There were lots of negative cartoons drawn about the TWU And we would always depict the males leading that union as cigar chomping You know if you put your mind to who is the most evil looking person you can think of That's male you would conjure up These photos and they were very effective It was one of these newsletters that first alerted American airline stewardess Susan French to the idea of an independent union We didn't have the internet then so you're relied on papers There'd be like papers in your jump seat when you'd go to flip down your jump seat There'd be like some campaign flyer The new union catches her attention Because at heart Susan is a non-conformist I graduated from high school in 1969 Which is the same year as Woodstock and the summer of Seoul

16:59Stonewall riots I consider myself and I still do like a true hippie flower child Antivietanom war protester After seeing the APFA flyer Susan is intrigued by the idea of a new union for American airline stewardesses like her She wants to know more Then she finds out that Pat Gibbs is coming to her base Chicago Listen one of the hotels by the airport They had one of those gigantic meeting rooms It was packed. I don't think we had thousands of members in Chicago and probably hundreds We had to convince people what we had to gain So I put together This slide presentation And it was set to the music of 2001 space Odyssey

18:01There was music and maybe some sort of video and you know her standing like rocking Something up and down and like doing sort of like rocky like hands above the head Tearing yeah, she's very dramatic I depicted all these Male unions the horrible part have they controlled your union We really needed to be independent fuck those guys they've taken advantage of us forever And we were never gonna get what we needed to make the job into a real Rear unless you know we were in charge She was really really impressive. I mean she's this little short person But her personality just boomed throughout that union. I mean you you knew you were dealing with a force It was like a little mini Winston Churchill You know that's it

19:04With the thundering of Pat's voice matched only by the space Odyssey tympani Susan is captivated This is the union she wants to be a part of a union run by the stewardesses Who better to decide their fate than themselves It won't be easy But like the quote misattributed to Winston Churchill If you're going through hell keep going Or like rocky said it ain't about how hard you hit It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward I remember being really impressed and just Thinking yeah, this is this is the way to go I had a sense That the momentum was definitely there. It was just the vibe. Yeah, yeah, jinx Yes exactly After Pat's presentation concludes she wipes the back of her hand over her dui forehead And she implores the stewardesses in attendance to join her movement

20:09She tells them Here are the cards They'll be at the back of the room before you leave be sure you sign one Along with some others Susan scribbles her name on a card Then Pat bundles them all together and takes them to APFAs informal headquarters Her apartment We would meet at least once a month We go over the cards Organize them but we didn't always have all the cards there Because the cards would come in to the different bases So we had to rely on calling Our counterparts saying how many cards did you get today? Oh, well, you know, we got 20 Or we got five or we got none As the months roll by Pat is always preoccupied with the idea that they're not going to get enough cards signed All the time we would be thinking that So Pat keeps on grinding returning to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport to Canvass

21:19But one day while proselytizing for the APFA Uniformed police officers approach Pat They were saying I was threatening them if they wouldn't sign a union card Coming up Pat in handcuffs This message is brought to you by Ralph's If you're into entertainment podcasts, you know it's all about the details that pull you in and keep you engaged The right details make everything feel seamless And with Ralph's you can plan ahead by keeping your kitchen stocked with fresh groceries and essentials So the details of your day feel seamless right from the start Order online and pick up groceries at your local rouse rouse Serving so cal for over 150 years If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium

22:20It's destroying, athlete, creator and YouTube Maxor YouTube Premium enhances how I use YouTube with awesome features like offline downloads So I can download my favorite training videos before I hit the gym So no Wi-Fi doesn't turn leg day into loading day Plus I get ad free videos, background play and so much more YouTube Premium is like YouTube got some extra gains Try YouTube Premium for two months free at youtube.com slash premium Hey, what's up guys it's Hayley Bailey Okay, I need to tell you about something I just got YouTube Premium It's got tons of awesome features like offline downloads So I can download my favorite videos before I travel and watch them whenever I don't have Wi-Fi Because we all know airplane Wi-Fi is the worst I get ad free, I get background play and there's like a ton more in there You should try it If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium So try YouTube Premium for two months free at youtube.com slash premium Try out eligibility varies, terms apply, cancel anytime That's a mouthful PowerSlab24 arrives in Las Vegas on Friday, October 9th at the Chelsea Theater at the Cosmopolitan

23:24If you've never been to a PowerSlab event Now is your chance to see one of the most exciting live sporting events on the planet PowerSlab tickets in Las Vegas started $60 and can be purchased on ticketmaster or powerslap.com That's Friday, October 9th in Las Vegas at the Cosmopolitan Tickets are on sale now Don't miss out on this one of a kind live event This is Chelsea Houndler from Dear Chelsea If you travel a lot with your dog like I do with dogs feeding them well on the road can get surprisingly complicated Especially when you're touring 30 plus cities, staying in hotels, flying, driving And basically living out of a suitcase Bros with dog food sounds great until you realize you don't exactly have a freezer backstage That's why I started bringing just fresh from just food for dogs It's real fresh dog food made with human great ingredients with meat and vegetables You can see in the bowl but the difference is it's shelf stable Which means I don't eat a freezer or a cooler and there's no prep So now I can throw a few packs in my bag and Doug still gets a healthy meal wherever we are

24:26Doug absolutely loves it and I like knowing I am feeding my baby something that's actually good for him It's also the number one vet recommended fresh dog food made without preservatives or fillers Go to justfoodfordogs.com and get 50% off your first order For most of us home security was never really about the house It's about the people inside it the ones you do anything to protect A break in leaves a mark even if nothing is taken Because it marks the moment home stops feeling safe Simply safe gets that while other security systems react once a break in has begun Simply safe is built to keep the threats away from your door in the first place Unlike traditional security systems that only alerts you after a break in is already underway Simply safe features 24-7 live guard protection to stop crime before it happens The agents intervene in under 30 seconds speaking directly through the camera To stop an intruder in their tracks and requesting urgent 911 dispatch when it's needed most You get peace of mind whether you're at work or sleep or away Join the more than 6 million people who entrust simply safe with their home security

25:30Right now safe 60% off with professional monitoring When you visit simplysafe.com slash iHeart that's simply safe.com slash iHeart Simply safe ahead of crime in real time As 1976 turns into 1977 Pats in full campaign mode Rushing to get enough authorization card signed The loud tick of the one year countdown echoing in her ears One of the most effective spots to promote the new union The airport I was at the airport campaigning Where the flight attendants would come in and get on the tram to go to the terminal And we would be in there trying to have card signed One day Pats there laying out her APFH belled to the passing flight attendants

26:35I was there you know talking to them giving them cards and everything And then the police came And they said can we talk to you There's been a complaint about you threatening people Here in the parking lot With tire chains and crowpars And they're afraid So I said what are you talking about do you see any tire chains We would never do that The police aren't buying it I was the one that was basically taken away To have further questioning about my activities They arrest Pat Take her to Irving police station And smush her fingers into black ink to print her They quiz Pat on her union campaigning

27:38She says everything she's done is above board I am sure I got put in the record but I didn't get thrown in jail It took some time but the police eventually say Pat's free to go But she's rattled These accusations are totally phony That was to try and get us off the airport property by spreading these rumors Who called in the police I don't know that I think Management made the call It could have been management But it did cross Pat's mind that maybe someone else had called the cops Someone from the TWU We weren't exactly Friendly then right because it was competing unions Whoever it was it's clear to Pat that she's under attack It's starting to feel like there are enemies everywhere

28:39We got major pushback from the loyalist to the TWU These are the American Airlines flight attendants who want to stay affiliated to the TWU Like Brian Haggerty We were against leaving the TWU If you're a perceptive listener you might be thinking wait a minute that's a man It never occurred to me to become a flight attendant before 1972 I would say Indeed Brian was part of one of the first generations of male flight attendants In 72 I did a couple of trips and I saw a pan Am Flight attendant male flight attendant And I thought you know it's interesting. I never thought that there were male flight attendants A quick note on how Brian became a flight attendant and TWU loyalist Four decades airlines across the U.S. practically never hired men That was until

29:431967 when a male truck driver from Florida who had ambitions to serve as an airline steward sued pan Am He alleged the under title seven of the civil rights act the near total ban on hiring male flight attendants Constituated sex discrimination Eventually the court sided with the truck driver and compelled the airlines to consider hiring everyone regardless of gender And all of a sudden a board planes around the U.S. serving coffee and handing out meals were men That's how by the early 1970s Brian found himself buttoning up his perfectly starched American airlines uniform With time Brian eventually became a TWU union rep and even became chairperson in Washington DC He wanted to improve the wages and working conditions for all the flight attendants

30:45But he noted the particular plight of women at the hands of management I felt like they were being horribly mistreated And it wasn't just some of those obvious things like the white standards or grooming It was just the general attitude that these women shouldn't be getting paid as much as they're getting paid Which wasn't much And we want them out of here before they start getting 30 and ugly and fat Brian thought the TWU would help deliver the flight attendants from the evils of these misogynistic policies But it was a far from perfect arrangement To Brian it seemed like the TWU union leaders all men Also treated the flight attendants like shit Talking down to them like the cockpit does and like management does they just didn't treat them like equivalent labor leaders They talked to the flight attendants like You gals need to you know tow the line and we'll try to get you more money

31:49But then they turn around and they'd help the mechanics They'd help the cabin workers and all the other unions on the property that were predominantly male unions But when it came to the flight attendants they fell short They would say well we're not going to be fighting the white standard that's something that we can't really fight They fell down a lot It was these shortcomings that had inspired some of the stewardesses like Pat Gibbs to try to set up their own union the APFA Brian didn't know anything about the campaign until the spring of 1976 That's when he attended a seminar on grievance training in Washington with two other flight attendants Tommy and Becky There he was introduced to two of the APFA rebels So I met them and then that's when Becky and Tommy said to me Be careful of those two you're talking to them. You're being friendly with them at lunch

32:51And they are very strong APFA supporters there against the TW And so that made me more curious to want to know them better and find out why They were so much wanting to desert a large union in order to become a small union Brian decided to hear them out basically badmouthing the male Dominance of the TWU and how they hadn't for years supported the things that we wanted They made compelling points Brian had seen it himself But in the end he sided with the TWU Why? A bigger union was better than a small union because you have a union of 100,000 members that will support you if you have to go out on strike That's a lot bigger than your 5,000 member union of women

33:54A little tiny union isn't going to be able to do anything A big union with lots of money and lots of muscle is going to be more effective And this company only listens to muscle Freaked out by the momentum of the APFA movement Brian started campaigning against independence Trying to get the American Airlines flight attendants to rip up the authorization cards Instead of signing them I could convince the Washington flight attendants because it was a small base and everybody knew me Although there were some senior women there that Viamantly disagreed with me And I said well if it was a bigger union I might agree but 5,000 flight attendants they can be replaced in two or three months Brian was worried that if the new union were in place Management would do a call a mass firing And then hire new more compliant flight attendants The women could very frankly be easily replaced They're not as technically qualified as pilots say or a mechanic who has to fix the engines

34:59The flight attendants basically take care of nice things inside the cabin And the only time their safety issues come to bear is on the rare occasion that there's a crash or a fire or a hard attack or something like that But most of the time they just look like cocktail waitresses As people like Brian started their own lobbying Pad became aware of the growing opposition to her rebel alliance as we progressed in the organizing and as TW saw that it was taking on Legs that it was probably going to Be something they needed to be concerned about Then it stepped up the pressure on everyone The TW got the company to allow them to set up a table in the operations area So they could hand out literature and talk to the flight attendants So I threw a fit about that and I said hey if they're in there we get a table too

36:06The Pat was facing resistance from the TWU from management and from some flight attendants And then the crusade against Pat takes another form In flyers distributed to the stewardesses Susan French remembers one of them and how they targeted Pat Well, I mean first of all she didn't look anything like a flying attendant She looked real but she had real short hair didn't wear makeup Certainly didn't wear heels so yes people gossiped about her you know her sexuality her butchiness in the flyers Oh they would mention that in the flyers Yeah, they would like hand things like that The campaign just got personal Flight attendants can be like pretty down and dirty You

37:09If you like youtube you'll love youtube premium it's destroying athlete creator and youtube maxer youtube premium enhances how I use youtube with awesome features like offline downloads So I could download my favorite training videos before I hit the gym So no wi-fi doesn't turn leg day into loading day Plus I get ad free videos background play and so much more youtube premium is like youtube got some extra gains Try youtube premium for two months free at youtube.com slash premium Hey, what's up guys? It's hailey Bailey Okay, I need to tell you about something. I just got youtube premium It's got tons of awesome features like offline downloads So I can download my favorite videos before I travel and watch them whenever I don't have wi-fi Because we all know airplane wi-fi is the worst I get ad free I get back room play and there's like a ton more in there you should try it If you like youtube you'll love youtube premium So try youtube premium for two months free at youtube.com slash premium trial eligibility varies terms apply cancel anytime That's a mouthful

38:09Power slab 24 arrives in Las Vegas on friday October 9th at the Chelsea Theater at the Cosmo If you've never been to a power slap event now is your chance to see one of the most exciting live sporting events on the planet Power slap tickets in Las Vegas started $60 and can be purchased on ticket master or power slap.com That's friday October 9th in Las Vegas at the Cosmo Polyton tickets are on sale now. Don't miss out on this one of a kind live event This is Chelsea handler from deer Chelsea traveling with Doug is one of my favorite things But when you're on tour like I am bouncing between 35 cities Feeding your dog can get complicated And that's why I started bringing just fresh from just food for dogs It's real fresh dog food made with human-grade ingredients that he's been obsessed with But it's shelf stable so I don't need a freezer or a cooler or a whole travel operation just to feed my dog Doug loves it and I feel good giving it to him So go to justfoodsfordogs.com and get 50% off your first order

39:12For most of us home security was never really about the house It's about the people inside it the ones you do anything to protect a break in leaves a mark even if nothing is taken Because it marks the moment home stops feeling safe simply safe gets that While other security systems react once a break in has begun Simply safe is built to keep the threats away from your door in the first place Unlike traditional security systems that only alerts you after a break in is already underway Simply safe features 24-7 live guard protection to stop crime before it happens The agents intervene in under 30 seconds Speaking directly through the camera to stop an intruder in their tracks and requesting urgent 911 dispatch when it's needed most You get peace of mind whether at work asleep or away Join the more than six million people who entrust simply safe with their home security right now Save 60% off with professional monitoring when you visit simply safe.com slash iHeart that's simply safe.com slash iHeart Simply safe ahead of crime in real time

40:12This is Jacob Goldstein from what's your problem Running a business is hard enough. Don't make it harder with the dozen apps that don't talk to each other One for sales another for inventory a separate one for accounting That's software overload Odoo is the all-in-one platform that replaces them all CRM accounting inventory e-commerce HR fully integrated easy to use and built to grow with your business Thousands have already made the switch why not you try odu for free at od o o.com That's odu.com There's a popular saying in Dallas in Texas. We have two seasons hot and hotter than hell One day in 1966 years before the APFA campaign Pat steps out of the airport and feels her skin scorched by the sun

41:14This day is definitely in the latter category She winces at the radiating leather of her car seat as she slides in turns on the motor and starts driving It was a 1965 Mustang convertible And of course I had the top down it was in the summer Along the road pat sees someone walking and recognizes her It's another stewardess called Anna She'd been born in Europe and had been a model in Milwaukee before taking to the skies I had flown with her Several months before this I saw her you know walking and I thought had it hotter than hell why are you walking So I pulled over and said would you like a ride home And she said oh yeah, and so she got in the car and

42:15She had on like a real lightweight summer dress and She had blonde hair and blue eyes a lot to make up very attractive Pat gives Anna a ride home And she was German she wanted to know if I wanted a beer and I said well, okay, I'll try it And then she said Uh Are you in a relationship with anyone? I said no And so she said would you like to kiss me? And I said yes, I would Pat and Anna lean toward each other Pat feels our heart jump It was like a wait a minute This is opening a door that I probably should have opened a long time ago although I was still denying it to myself

43:16I Did you know spend the night there with her Then I you know, I said well, I'd like to see you again And she said yeah, that's fine The pair became an item and they got close Both of Pat's parents suddenly died within the space of a fortnight and Anna was Pat's rock But their relationship was strictly under wraps After all it was a time when the American Psychiatric Association still listed homosexuality as a mental disorder People weren't ever openly Okay, now I mean that was just like totally taboo Imagine going back in time and walking in to Some of your friends. Oh by the way I'm a lesbian you want to go out? I guarantee my friends would have said no And don't mention it again

44:16It wasn't acceptable socially Pat especially didn't want it to get out at work Galley gossip is legendary Flight attendant rumors they travel faster than a supersonic jet having to face your own preferences Is very hard when it's in a job that is strictly based on heterosexual sex which is basically stewardess job They weren't advertising hey if you're a recent lesbian come here and interview. We've got lots of you No, the airlines were advertising a very particular message The air strip is brought to you by branaf international Who believes that even an airline hostess Should look like a girl Like in this all-time classic from branaf international The premise of so many commercials for so many airlines was that male businessmen could ogle the female stewardesses

45:21Literally commodifying heteronormativity Pat coming out as a lesbian and a stewardess in the 1970s Was almost like someone with dog allergies running a pet store borderline an oxymoron It was very hard I did go to a psychiatrist for about a year and dealt with the issue of my sexuality and he said I can't tell you what you need to be that's up to you and so I Thought well, maybe I should go out with some guys figure it out if I really am gay or not so I started going out with this one guy We dated for quite a while and he said I would really like to have a longer-term relationship with you well ding ding no That's not going to work for me

46:21The fact that that happened just kind of told me you aren't Straight and I went and told them you know we can't get married. We can't have that relationship I said because I'm not attracted mentally to men Physically, it's different than mental I said if you don't have a mental connection with the person what do you have or you just have sex? What's the point you can have sex with yourself Well, you can't argue with that By the time the APFA campaign had rolled around in 1976 Pat had broken up with Anna but settled into her sexuality She was still private about it at work though. I started Realizing that my opposition would use it sort of as blackmail against me And as you heard from Susan French TWU advocates did weaponize homophobia to undermine the APFA

47:26Not Tommy or Brian, but others wouldn't simulate about her sexuality in propaganda At the time of the APFA campaign Susan was married to a man and had had basically no contact with queer life Then she gets a chance to meet Pat in person with a group of flight attendants at Susan's base Chicago I thought it was a pretty fun evening. I guess a lot more fun than everybody else thought it was Less fun for Pat perhaps because it was at this meeting that Susan asked Pat about the rumors And I do remember like just flat out confronting Pat on the gay thing and I mean I didn't mean to be offensive and I didn't Realize I was being offensive But I was like probably that blunt about it I think she was blunt or by saying are you gay

48:27Coming up it's decision time As the year of campaigning draws to a close Will Pat and the new union get enough stewardesses to sign their cards? I was quite nervous. We knew we were running out of time Meanwhile Pat has to make a decision about coming out at work And the relationship between Susan and Pat takes a turn This is the question for both of you. Can you tell us about the moment that your relationship became romantic? That's on the season finale of the Girlfriends flight or fight The Girlfriends flight or fight is produced by novel for iHeart podcasts For more from novel visit novel.audio This podcast is hosted by me now McShane Wolfhardt the senior producer and writer is Saskia Collette

49:30Our editor is Joe Meek The assistant producer is Bella Saltyel Production management from Sheree Houston and Joe Savage Fact checking by Fendell Fulton Sound design mixing and scoring by Daniel Kempson Original music by Shulto The Girlfriends theme was composed by Nicholas Alexander with vocals by Gina Walters Music supervision from Nicholas Alexander and Saskia Collette Field production from Rob Upchurch The series our work was designed by Christina Limcoul Novel director of development is Selena Mehta Willard Foxton is our creative director of development Max O'Brien and Craig Stracken are executive producers for novel Katrina Norvell and Nikki Eator are the executive producers for iHeart podcasts And the marketing lead is Alison Cantor Special thanks to Carrie Lieberman and Will Pearson

50:34You Power slab 24 arrives in Las Vegas on Friday October 9th at the Chelsea Theatre at the Cosmopolitan If you've never been to a power slap event now is your chance to see one of the most exciting live sporting events on the planet power slap tickets in Las Vegas started $60 and can be purchased on ticket master or power slap.com That's Friday October 9th in Las Vegas at the Cosmopolitan Tickets are on sale now. Don't miss out on this one of a kind live event This is Chelsea Hale and they're from Dear Chelsea If you travel a lot with your dog like I do with dogs feeding them well on the road can get surprisingly complicated Especially when you're touring 30 plus cities staying in hotels Flying driving and basically living out of a suitcase Bros of dog food sounds great until you realize you don't exactly have a freezer backstage That's why I started bringing just fresh from just food for dogs It's real fresh dog food made with human great ingredients with meat and vegetables

51:37You can see in the bowl but the difference is it's shelf stable Which means I don't need a freezer or a cooler and there's no prep So now I can throw a few packs in my bag and Doug still gets a healthy meal wherever we are Doug absolutely loves it and I like knowing I am feeding my baby something that's actually good for him It's also the number one vet recommended fresh dog food made without preservatives or fillers Go to justfoodfordogs.com and get 50% off your first order This is Jacob Goldstein from What's Your Problem Running a business is hard enough. Don't make it harder with a dozen apps that don't talk to each other One for sales, another for inventory, a separate one for accounting That's software overload Odo is the all-in-one platform that replaces them all CRM, accounting, inventory, e-commerce, HR fully integrated, easy to use and built to grow with your business Thousands have already made the switch Why not you? Try Odo for free at odo.com

52:39That's odo.com There are exciting things happening at your local CVS Shop new extra big deals with extra care every two weeks No coupon needed, plus get access to exclusive sale prices, personalize deals, and more as a member Extra care is the way to save its CVS Join for free online or in-store and start saving Visit your local CVS store or CVS.com slash extra big deals for this week's deals This episode is brought to you by Bobcat They started the compact equipment industry through grit, determination, and a whole lot of Think we can't do that? Watch us. They set standards, broke records, Empowered people to build bigger and higher, to dig deeper, to make the impossible possible We've all been there, with doubters telling us what we can't do Who cares what they think? We don't need their permission, we're forgiveness We just get things done

53:39So go ahead and doubt me, judge me, challenge me But when the time comes, watch me Bobcat This is an iHarp podcast Guaranteed Human