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Dawn Henry, a mom from Arizona, recently called out Delta airlines for their lack of inclusivity. The 52-year-old was trying to make online reservations for her 21-year-old non-binary child when she found out that the airline only allows customers to choose between male and female while booking tickets.
She tried contacting the airline about the issue but was left empty-handed. Adamant on addressing the issue and demanding a change, Dawn Henry then took to Twitter to post about her experience.
She has made her since made her Twitter account private.
Twitter thread from Dawn Henry
Dawn Henry decided to surprise her child with a plane ticket when she found out that Delta airlines only had two gender options. This created an issue as Henry's child holds an X gendered identification.
TSA (Transportation Security Administration) made it mandatory for passengers to match their booking credentials with their IDs. A two gender system hinders people with X gender ID from traveling with the airline.
Dawn Henry, in an attempt to find a solution, called up the airline. After a lengthy call, the mother was informed that the Delta computer system 'only uses male/female' options.
The mother then posted a series of tweets addressing the issue to Delta Airlines.
Post her tweets, a Delta representative told NBC News that the company had its hands filled with COVID safety guidelines and changes related to it, but has started working towards providing non-binary options for its LGBTQ+ passengers. They said:
"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."
"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."
Around 2019, Delta and other major U.S. airlines had announced to change their booking systems, making it compatible with non-conforming gender options. However, the changes were brought to a halt due to COVID-19. As of now, American and United are the only two airlines to provide the option.
