Man held hostage in Kuwait in 1990 says BA staff’s homophobia made ordeal worse Barry Manners says when British Airways crew discovered his partner had Aids they were both forced out of hotel where other hostages were being held.
A man who was among British Airways passengers and crew taken hostage in Kuwait and used as human shields during Saddam Hussein’s invasion and who are suing the airline said his ordeal was made worse by its staff’s homophobia.
Barry Manners, then 24, said the attitude of BA staff, who took charge at the hotel where people were held, changed when they discovered that his partner, Anthony Yong, had Aids after he requested medication.
He said they told them to stay in the room to avoid contaminating others and talked about transferring Yong to the local infectious disease hospital, despite the risk this would pose to him with his compromised immune system.
“They dropped a litre of disinfectant outside the room for us to disinfect the room, and food was brought up,” said the 58-year-old.
