A democratic socialist activist from Tennessee has expressed her fury after multiple plane passengers expressed gratitude for being seated next to a "small person" during recent flights.
The Incident That Sparked Outrage
Tabitha Arnold, a 30-year-old artist based in Chattanooga, took to social media platform X on Wednesday to share her discomfort with comments fellow travellers made about her physical appearance. The activist revealed she's been subjected to similar remarks on multiple flights, where passengers in her row openly expressed relief at sitting beside someone thin.
"I've been on multiple flights recently where a passenger in my row comments 'it's so nice to get seated next to a ~small~ person' and I'm not sure how to say that they should never share those kinds of thoughts out loud," Arnold wrote in her since-deleted post.
She added emphatically: "And they should feel bad about having them in their head."
Social Media Backlash and Removal
Arnold's post quickly gained traction online, amassing 6.1 million views and nearly 500 comments before she removed it on Sunday morning. The Daily Mail has reached out to the activist for further comment on the situation.
This isn't the first time Arnold has spoken her mind on public platforms. She regularly shares political views across her social media accounts and recently created new t-shirt designs for Democratic Socialists of America, a New York City-based political organisation.
Arnold's Political and Artistic Background
According to her website, Arnold creates tapestries that "reflect coming of age during a new wave of unionization in the United States." Her artistic works incorporate themes of "Bible Belt spirituality, social-realist propaganda, and ancient art motifs to create new historical artifacts from a working-class perspective."
The timing of Arnold's airline complaint is notable, coming just one day after she attended a remembrance event honouring late Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Arnold participated in the 2025 May Day Brigade, which involved trips to Cuba between April 25 and May 10 to commemorate Castro and support the Cuban Revolution.
In a Substack post dated May 20, Arnold described her experience in Cuba, contrasting the atmosphere with protests she'd witnessed in the United States. She wrote about witnessing "the loving, cathartic energy of International Workers Day" during her visit.
Arnold expressed strong views about Cuba's political system, stating: "I was really moved by my visit to Cuba as a labor organizer, seeing what it looks like for a state to truly be organized around the needs of working people, and where people are Democratically involved in their own lives and their own futures."
She concluded with a powerful statement: "I really believe that Cuba can be a north star for American workers. We [Americans] have our own struggles for liberation."
