Travelling when non-binary can be complicated for people to choose a gender they don’t identify with, just to buy tickets and board a plane. Fortunately some progress has been made.
Two airlines have introduced non-binary options when buying tickets. Now if you buy a ticket with United Airlines you are not limited to M (male) or F (female), instead you can choose U (undisclosed) or X (unspecified). Air Italy offers M, F and X. Both airlines offer Mx as a title.
These changes come following the approval of non-binary options by the industry group Airlines for America The group includes American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Alaska Airlines, and the International Air Transport Association, which represents most of the world’s airlines. Several other airlines are expected to follow suit, including Delta.
These changes are they ensure that the ticket reflects the ID of the passenger. Several US states, including Oregon, Colorado and California, and a number of countries legally recognise a non-binary gender and offer government ID, including passports, to reflect this.
As having the correct gender on the ticket does not guarantee that airline staff won’t accidentally misgender the passenger, United Airlines completed their initiative with employee training focussed on preferred pronouns and the persistence of gender norms.
Airlines are not the only type of company embracing non-binary options for customers. The bank HSBC UK added ten non-binary titles this year, with clients free to choose whichever they prefer. The titles are Mx, Ind, M, Misc, Mre, Msr, Myr, Pr, Sai and Ser.
Share this article
