Flight attendants, pilots, and other customer-facing staff at Virgin Atlantic no longer must wear gendered uniforms that match their biological sex. The move is the latest update to Virgin Atlantic’s gender identity policy.
Virgin Atlantic Eliminates Gendered Uniforms Under New Policy Update
Calling itself “the most inclusive airline in the skies,” Virgin Atlantic will offer its employees a “fluid approach” to its red and burgundy uniforms, meaning LGBTQ+ employees will be able to choose either the red (traditionally female) or the burgundy (traditionally male) uniform, as they wish. Visible tattoos are already permitted and now employees will be able to wear dresses while maintaining facial hair. However, flight attendants in burgundy uniforms will not be permitted to wear high heel shoes at this time. The red and burgundy uniforms cannot be mixed and matched.
Furthermore, the airline will roll out optional pronoun badges for both employees and customers. Virgin Atlantic has also updated its ticketing systems to allow for those who hold passports with gender-neutral gender markers to select “U” or “X” gender codes on their booking as well as the gender-neutral title, “Mx.”
Mandatory inclusivity training will also be rolled out and employees will be given time off for gender transition and be encouraged to utilize shower facilities that align with the gender the person identifies as.
Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s Chief Commercial Officer, explained:
“At Virgin Atlantic, we believe that everyone can take on the world, no matter who they are. That’s why it’s so important that we enable our people to embrace their individuality and be their true selves at work. 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.”
The press release uses the term “true selves” four times in five paragraphs, though that term is not defined.
Virgin Atlantic also released this video explaining the new policy:
Finally, Bill Maher gives us some helpful food for thought related to this issue:
Asking such questions is neither homophobic nor transphobic.
CONCLUSION
Virgin’s latest update to its gender identity policy now allows employees to wear the uniform of their choice and will no longer designate uniforms as male or female. Facial hair and tattoos will be permitted while mixing uniforms or wearing high heel shoes while wearing traditional male uniforms will not be permitted.
> Read More: New Virgin Atlantic “See The World Differently” Ad
> Read More: Virgin Atlantic Embraces Tattoos On Flight Attendants
I didn’t realize Michelle Visage was now a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant… Good for them!
I miss the time of Hooters Air. Let the weirdos be weirdos.
They’re not being weird.
You are correct. Keeping your biological gender is now weird. They are the new normal.
Nope. Nobody is weird. Live and let live, Santastico. You’ll probably be a less angry person if you do.
Yes they are. They are nuts. Don’t enable their lunacy.
No, they aren’t nuts. But you are a hateful homophobe.
No they are. Gender Dysphoria is a mental illness. I’m not a homophobe i’m a transphobe.
It isn’t a mental illness. But you are a hateful person, that part is true.
So, your individual personal discomfort should inform what a huge company thinks is best for its employees when it literally has no impact or bearing on you whatsoever? GOT IT.
Yes these days you can defy any dress code by just saying in conflicts with your beliefs or whatever. That will be the last flight I take with an airline if the first or fourth person pictured is my flight attendant.
Same here
Just curious…why?
Because they are snowflakes and they don’t want to melt
Or they don’t want to enable the lgbt peodphiles.
I really don’t care what anyone wears as long as they are nice and customer focused. If a less stringent dress code energizes flight attendants to love their job, so be it. Frankly, VS flight attendants generally appear better groomed and more cheerful than many of their industry colleagues, so they are starting with a high bar. I sense not many employees will avail themselves of these options.
Awww shucks. Was looking forward to seeing a pair of hairy nuts hanging out the bottom of a skirt.
Too bad I guess the ones in your yellow underwear will have to suffice.
These posts will invite such comments….is good service dictated by whether one is wearing pants or dresses?
Yes.
These are customer facing jobs. appearance matters. Me flying on Scandinavian airlines business class where the flight attendants are young and of normal weight makes a huge difference compared to any US airline which follow “equal hiring practices” . I will always pick a European airline (other than BA) or Asian airline if I have the option. You may think it should not matter, but we are human, and study after study has shown that appearance matters and increases sales. If you own an ice cream stand on the beach in Florida, you really think person 1 in that photo would have equal sales to person 2 or 5 or 6?
Are you asking that because 1 doesn’t fit “gender norms” the way 5 or 6 do, or because 5 and 6 are “more attractive” than 1?
Angry much? I could care less what a person’s sexual preferences are or what they do in their private time. It doesn’t impact sevice in my opinion. But where I do take great exception is when those preferences are flaunted or pushed in my face, wanting me to accept their life choices. Funny how they never reciprocate with the same level of understanding of others. You do you. I’ll do me and we’ll be just fine. And for the record, I wear colored boxers. Seems you might like to know that.
Well said.
“wanting me to accept their life choices”
It’s not a life choice, it’s people being who they are.
“Funny how they never reciprocate with the same level of understanding of others.”
Actually, they reciprocate by not judging you for what you are wearing, Sounds a lot more understanding than how you come across.
“You do you. I’ll do me and we’ll be just fine.”
Apparently not.
No they are denying who they are.
Being transphobic is a badge of honor.
It’s only a badge of honor to hateful people like you.
Just don’t let it get in the way of actually being a good customer service-oriented airline… in which in VS’s case, they are
People should be happy. Worrying about what makes others happy is nonsense. As long as someone does their job, is clean presentable, and nice, makes me happy. I need not look any deeper nor delve into the the psychology of how someone has chosen to dress. But on the me side of this please don’t be offended if I cannot get the non binary pronouns right. If I can’t have verb agreement with the they/them I really get bewildered. Please give me a pass on this as I will be respectful of you.
+1!
I agree with you, Maryland. I can get used to the non-traditional wearing of uniforms as long as it’s done presentably, but the pronoun issue always throws me for a loop.
The pronoun issue is easy. If a person tells you what pronouns they would like you to use when addressing them, just use them. The majority of the population still uses traditional pronouns, so it isn’t that complex an issue.
You enable mental illness with this.
The only mental illness that is being enabled here is yours by Matthew letting you post on here.
All very nice but will the service still be pretty crap?
One of the better European carriers I think and over any of the US3. In business anyway.
Reminds me of one of the first episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in which there was a quick shot of a male crewmember wearing a female uniform. I remember watching it back in 1987 thinking, “Did I just see that?”
Here’s a thought, how about focusing on excellent piloting airmanship as well as customer service and emergency procedure execution.
Khakis and polo shirts are fine with me.
Not to get too off-topic, but thankfully I don’t have to wear an artificial fabric and maybe an unhealthy uniform in my job. It would drive me crazy.
They are mentally ill
The hate is strong in this one…
60% of pedophiles are lgbt
Fake fact. Stop making up statistics.
na it’s real.
Pedophiles and the LGBT have always had a connection.
What a bunch of freaks! I want a man in pants not some twink prancing around the cabin in a skirt……and women in their smart red virgin skirt with heels. Not flying virgin with this load of crap.
I doubt they will miss you.
Won’t be flying on Pervert Air.