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| Beginning June 1, 2019, members of Airlines for America, a trade group that represents most leading US carriers, will allow consumers to pick "unspecified" and "undisclosed" in addition to the traditional two gender options of "male" and "female" (AFP Photo/SAUL LOEB) |
New York (AFP) - US carriers will soon offer passengers additional options besides "male" and "female" when they buy tickets, an airlines trade association said Tuesday.
The shift
comes as a handful of US states permit citizens to identify by non-binary
genders and as a minority of countries within the European Union permit
citizens to self-identify by their gender preference.
Beginning
June 1, members of Airlines for America, a trade group that represents most
leading US carriers, will allow consumers to pick "unspecified" and
"undisclosed" in addition to the traditional two options.
"US
airlines value a culture of diversity and inclusion, both in the workplace and
for our passengers and we work hard each day to accommodate the needs of all
travelers, while delivering a safe, secure and enjoyable flight
experience," the group said.
Implementation
of the shift will be up to members of the group, which is also known as A4A.
Members of the association include American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
United
Airlines, another member, said on Twitter, that "In the coming weeks,
customers will be able to select the gender with which they most closely
identify during the booking process."
Delta Air
Lines, which is not in A4A, also plans non-binary gender options during the
booking process, a spokeswoman said.
Seven
states in the US and the District of Columbia allow citizens to define as
"X" gender, in addition to male and female, said Gillian Branstetter,
media relations manager at the National Center of Transgender Equality.
The group
applauded the airline announcement.
"Non-binary
people face unnecessary, invasive, and discriminatory scrutiny by airlines,
airports and security services alike," said Arli Christian, state policy
director for the National Center for Transgender Equality.
"A4A's
work is in line with other states who offer gender neutral designations on IDs
and is an important step toward ensuring safe and smooth travel for all
passengers regardless of their gender."
Among the
28 EU member states and three European Free Trade Association states, seven
countries currently have or will soon have a model that lets adults self-define
their gender, according to a November 2018 European Commission report on trans
and intersex equality. However, only one jurisdiction -- Malta -- permits
non-binary recognition.
EU
countries, as well as the EU itself, "are firmly grounded in a binary
conception of sex," said the report.
"While
public awareness if improving, trans and intersex people continue to suffer
disproportionate social and legal burdens," the report said.
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