In response to a gay passenger's complaint he was ordered to take off a rainbow-colored mask on a Lufthansa flight, the German-based airline is clarifying that its staff have discretion over enforcement of its face covering policy imposed to protect its crew and travelers from COVID-19. As the Bay Area Reporter reported online July 26, West Hollywood resident Scott Schmidt was ordered to remove the rainbow-hued surgical mask he was wearing by a Lufthansa gate agent at the Athens International Airport. He was preparing to board a bus to take him and his fiancé from the terminal to the aircraft waiting on the tarmac when the woman scanning his ticket inquired about the mask.