Lufthansa Airlines will face a lawsuit brought by a gay couple that has accused an employee of outing them to the Saudi government.That was the ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Thursday, over whether a California federal district court has jurisdiction to hear the couples lawsuit, centered on actions taken at the airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, prior to the couple flying to San Francisco. Related Out comedian apologizes for performing at Saudi Arabian comedy festival The appeals court said it does.The suit was brought by the gay couple, identified in court papers as John Doe and Robert Roe, in 2024. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The two men, one a U.S. citizen and the other a Saudi national, had lived in a committed, but discreet relationship for 33 years, and were married in California in 2013. The couple lived in Saudi Arabia most of the year, but flew back to San Francisco frequently.They were forced to keep their relationship and sexual orientation hidden, the lawsuit detailed, because homosexuality has been treated as a capital offense in Saudi Arabia. Living very carefully, they successfully kept their 33-year relationship a secret from the government, strangers, employers, friends, and family, alike, the lawsuit reads.That changed in May 2021, when the couple was anxious to return to California after travel restrictions in place at the time kept them in Saudi Arabia for an extended period. The couple reasoned that their marriage would allow Roe to travel to the U.S. despite strict entry requirements at the time for foreign nationals.The couple booked their flight on Lufthansa, expressly because they believed the Western carrier would be discreet about their relationship as they left Saudi Arabia. Instead, the couple says the top staffer for Lufthansa at Riyadhs airport harassed the couple publicly over their relationship status, refusing to believe they were married and loudly demeaning them, despite their pleas for discretion.Their concerns over transmitting copies of the marriage certificate and their passports to Lufthansa headquarters via Saudi Arabias heavily monitored internet were also dismissed.The couple was finally allowed to board the flight and returned to California, but about a month later, Saudi citizen Roe discovered that his marital status on his Saudi government profile was changed from single to married. The couple alleges there is no conceivable way the Saudi Arabian government could have learned about Plaintiffs marriage other than as a result of their experience at the Riyadh airport and their flight on Lufthansa.Roe hasnt returned to Saudi Arabia since the May 25, 2021, flight, for fear of Saudi government punishment, with the most lenient being the revocation of his passport and inability to ever leave Saudi Arabia, and escalating to potential harassment of his family, imprisonment, or the risk of being executed because of his sexual orientation and relationship with Roe.The couple says U.S. consulate officials unanimously concurred that Roes safety cant be assured in the country. In January 2023, Roe received a provisional green card for permanent residency in the United States.While his husband, as a U.S. citizen, faces less risk of severe Saudi government retribution, nevertheless, Doe still fears that his sexual orientation and marital status will cost him his job, result in public shaming, and potential permanent deportation from Saudi Arabia.In an emailed message to LGBTQ Nation, Lufthansa declined to comment due to ongoing litigation. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.