While six major airlines in America have promised to add non-binary options, only two have done so. Photo / Unsplash
While six major airlines in America have promised to add non-binary options, only two have done so. Photo / Unsplash
When Delta Airlines committed to adding non-binary options for passengers booking plane tickets, it was a defining moment for the 1.2 million Americans who identify as neither male or female.
But almost three years since Delta Airlines announced plans, non-binary passengers are still waiting and female and male are still the only options. Now, an Arizona mother has spoken up, prompting the Atlanta-based carrier to make the change in 2022.
The airline made headlines last week for all of the wrong reasons after Dawn Henry attempted to book her 21-year-old child with a ticket but could not find a non-binary option.
Non-binary refers to individuals who do not identify as male or female and are often represented by the letter 'X' on tickets or passports.
Despite promising to offer this as an option for people booking plane tickets, Delta was yet to follow through and Henry wasn't about to let it slide.
Henry called out the airline for not delivering on their promise to nonbinary passengers. Photo / Twitter
"As it stands, at least with @Delta, #nonbinary people are not allowed to fly," wrote Henry in a Twitter thread last week.
"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."
Henry's child identifies as nonbinary and has an X gender marker on their birth certificate and Washington State driver's license.
Taking to social media, Henry's complaints were then picked up by news outlets who took the story global.
"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."
Delta admitted they had not prioritised the change after announcing plans back in 2019.
"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," Delta spokesperson told NBC News.
"While we quickly shifted focus due to COVID in early 2020 to helping customers navigate the rapidly changing environment and government regulations, we are back on track to be able to offer a non-binary gender option in our booking systems in 2022."
Currently, six major airlines have pledged to add non-binary options. American Airlines and United Airlines have made good on the pledge while Delta, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest are yet to follow through.
According to Josh Block, a senior attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union's LGBT & HIV Project, providing only binary options doesn't accurately reflect the world people live in.
"There's a major problem with Delta and possibly some other airlines not adapting their computer system to correspond to the reality that people have official government documents that recognize their nonbinary gender identity," he told NBC News.
"...Businesses have an obligation to make sure that nonbinary people have equal service, and if that requires investing money to update your computer system, then that's what a business needs to do."
In New Zealand, individuals can have their non-binary identity reflected on a New Zealand passport with an 'X' without needing to edit their birth certificates or citizenship records.
When it comes to flying, Air New Zealand passengers can then select 'Mx' as a title instead of options like Miss, Mr, Mrs or Dr.
The gender field only provides female and male as options but is not a required field for booking.
