Mother Calls Out Delta Airlines For Lack of Gender Options for Nonbinary Child
NBC News.American and United airlines already offer additional gender options in their booking processes that are inclusive of nonbinary passengers.“I am committed to fixing this, not just for my child, but for everyone who holds legal ID with an X gender marker,” Henry told NBC News in a Twitter message. “My hope is that pressure on the airlines (not just Delta, but the others that have not updated their systems) will get this done.” Henry said she reached out to Delta about the lack of gender options, but a supervisor told her that the company only recognizes male and female genders.“But as it stands, at least with @Delta, #nonbinary people are not allowed to fly,” Henry wrote on Twitter. “The supervisor said that’s not true.
But when a policy makes it impossible to buy a ticket that will comport with TSA guidelines, the result is the same. And that’s discrimination.” NBC News notes that Transportation Security Administration advises travelers to have the same name, gender, and birth date as their government-issued ID.
In this case, that would have been Henry’s child’s Washington license: an “X.” When asked about the lack of gender options, Delta said in a statement to the outlet that it was not an easy fix.“Delta Air Lines is a proud, long-time supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and we understand that being seen and acknowledged is part of having an equitable travel experience,” the spokesperson said.
