The crew, pilots and ground staff of Virgin Atlantic will now be permitted to wear uniforms originally designed for either genders.
The British airline company has changed its gender identity policy to “champion the individuality”, allowing staff to wear clothing that “expresses how they identify or present themselves…no matter their gender, gender identity or gender expression” and select from the original male suit, the female design of its red skirt suit or the burgundy trousers.
In May this year, the airline announced it would no longer require its female staff to wear make-up. In a world-first for leading carriers, it also allowed its cabin crew to display tattoos.
Virgin said the latest changes makes it “the most inclusive airline in the skies”.
Chief Commercial Officer, Juha Järvinen said the changes to the rules regarding the uniforms, designed by Vivienne Westwood, is critical to the company’s branding.
“It’s so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work,” he said. “It is for that reason that we want to allow our people to wear the uniform that best suits them and how they identify and ensure our customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns.”
“At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are.”
Ru Paul’s Drag Race’s Michelle Visage believes the new changes to the uniform is an important initiative.
“People feel empowered when they are wearing what best represents them, and this gender identity policy allows people to embrace who they are,” she said. “I wanted to be part of this campaign to affect change in the world. As a mother of a non-binary child and as an LGBTQ+ community ally, I’m proud to be involved in this new announcement.”
Virgin cabin crew member, Jaime Forsstroem, told Sky News, “The updated gender identity policy is so important to me. As a non-binary person, it allows me to be myself at work and have the choice in what uniform I wear.”
The airline has also announced it will introduce optional pronoun badges for the crew.
Passengers will also be given the option at check-in to choose their preferred pronouns. Those with gender neutral markers will be allowed to use title Mx or select gender codes U or X on flight bookings.
Earlier this year, U.S. citizens were given the option to select a nonbinary gender marker, “X,” when they applied for a passport.
In March 2019, United Airlines became the first major U.S. carrier to offer a nonbinary option for passenger bookings.
Virgin said mandatory inclusivity training for staff will also commence as part of the airline’s Be Yourself agenda, to ensure “all our customers feel welcome despite barriers to LGBTQ+ equality.”
The airline said it is changing its “trans inclusion policies” to include time off work for medical treatments related to gender transition, a selection of change rooms and showers that “align with the gender a person identifies as”, and a “personalised transitioning plan”.