Despite pledging in 2019 to “offer a non-binary gender option during the booking process,” the mother to a non-binary customer attempting to fly with Delta Airlines alleges she was not able to buy a plane ticket for them unless they marked a “male” or “female” designation while purchasing the ticket, despite the person having a valid passport with an “X” marker and a birth certificate also with an “X” gender marker.
“@Delta is discriminating against #nonbinary individuals and not allowing them to fly despite legal ID issued by states that allow X on birth certificates and state-issued IDs,” the mother alleged in a now-viral thread of tweets posted on January 6.
“TSA requires that the boarding pass reservation match your state issued ID. TSA accepts X as a gender marker on state IDs. The problem isn’t with TSA. The problem is airlines, like @Delta and @AlaskaAir,” the mother, Aurora Dawn, wrote. “I first discovered this problem when trying to make an online reservation to buy a ticket as a Christmas present for my #nonbinary adult child. The only gender options in @Delta and @AlaskaAir online reservation systems is male or female.”
Following TSA directions to call the airlines directly, she called Delta to make the reservation, but a representative told her that “she was unable to change the gender designation to X,” and that the ticket must have male or female gender designations. After explaining that her child is non-binary and their birth certificate has an “X” gender marker as does their identification, the representative put her on hold.
Then, “a @Delta supervisor in Atlanta came on the line and told me that their system only uses male/female and I can only use one of those. I explained again that my adult child is #nonbinary and #LGBTQ and their ID is X and TSA requires them to match,” she wrote.
“The @Delta supervisor got short with me and said, sorry, that’s the policy,” with the supervisor adding that she believes “that is not discriminatory, it’s just their policy.” Dawn responds, “Then the policy is discriminatory.” She hung up, unable to get the plane ticket from Delta, and unable to find another airline offering flights on the same route for a similar price that recognizes non-binary identification.
“And even if I could find an airline that would issue a ticket with the correct X gender, @Delta was the least expensive,” she pointed out. “Why should a #nonbinary #LGBTQ person have to pay MORE in order to be allowed to fly?… that’s discrimination.”
She cited reporting that Delta pledged to “we are exploring options to be even more inclusive of non-binary customers with a non-binary gender option during the booking process.” In 2019, Delta , and , they were “planning to offer a non-binary gender option during the booking process… to accommodate the needs of diverse customers throughout our business.”
@Delta is discriminating against #nonbinary individuals and not allowing them to fly despite legal ID issued by states that allow X on birth certificates and state-issued IDs. This thread is the ongoing saga of me trying to purchase a ticket for my non-binary adult child. 1/x
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 6, 2022
I first discovered this problem when trying to make an online reservation to buy a ticket as a Christmas present for my #nonbinary adult child. The only gender options in @Delta and @AlaskaAir online reservation systems is male or female. 3/x #LGBTQ
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 6, 2022
Today I called @Delta to make the reservation. The rep who answered my call was really trying to help, but she was unable to change the gender designation to X. I explained what TSA had told me about the #nonbinary designation. I was put on hold. 5/x #LGBTQ
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 6, 2022
After some time on hold, a @Delta supervisor in Atlanta came on the line and told me that their system only uses male/female and I can only use one of those. I explained again that my adult child is #nonbinary and #LGBTQ and their ID is X and TSA requires them to match. 7/x
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 6, 2022
The @Delta supervisor got short with me and said, sorry, that’s the policy. I said, are you telling me you aren’t allowing my #nonbinary #LGBTQ kid who has a perfectly legal state-issued ID to fly? 8/x
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 6, 2022
She said no, I’m not saying that, it’s just the policy at @Delta. I pointed out it has that effect if TSA requires matching documents and there’s no way to buy a ticket with a gender that matches the state-issued #nonbinary gender on the ID. #LGBTQ 9/x
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 6, 2022
The @Delta supervisor again said sorry, that’s our policy. I replied that this is discriminatory. She said (talking loudly over me) that is not discriminatory, it’s just their policy. I said, Then the policy is discriminatory. #nonbinary #LGBTQ 10/x
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 6, 2022
It’s not clear if Delta has taken any other steps in line with that pledge, and they have been criticized for how other LGBTQ customers have been treated in recent years.
In October, Delta announced that flight attendants would begin to make gender-neutral introductions during on-board announcements, like “hello everyone” as opposed to “ladies and gentlemen.” The airline said at the time, “Promoting inclusion throughout the travel journey is core to creating a safe, comfortable and respectful space for all of our customers and employees.”
Last year, the State Department under President Joe Biden (D) began making it possible for Americans to get gender-neutral “X” markers on their passports and other federal identification. This was in accordance with a 2019 ruling issued by a federal judge directing the State Dept. to give Dana Zzyym, an intersex person, a passport accurately reflecting their identity. Zzyym received the first passport with an “X” marker under gender identification was issued in October 2021.
From 1977 until that point, the Department of State only issued passports with an “M” or “F” gender marker. Prior to 1977, U.S. passports didn’t have gender markers on them at all.
Lawmakers, including out Colorado Rep. Brianna Titone (D), and other LGBTQ community members and advocates such as Charlotte Clymer tweeted about Delta’s alleged actions.
Delta did not respond to Dawn’s tweets on Twitter. LGBTQ Nation has reached out to them for comment and will update our reporting with any responses.
@Delta, you knew of this issue and need FOUR YEARS ago. So why can’t I buy a ticket for my #nonbinary adult child? Not online, and not even over the phone. #LGBTQ 17/x
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 6, 2022
@Delta’s policy against issuing tickets to #nonbinary #LGBTQ people with X gender markers on their legal ID results in discriminatory treatment and is just bad business. Please help me share this message. 19/19 https://t.co/XNf59KlQIK
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 6, 2022
Regardless of how you feel about this, a legal State ID with X should be accepted by airlines. Gender identity is a protect class under the Civil Rights Act. Period.
— ⚖️Aurora Dawn⚖️ 💪🏻🌊🌈💜 (@truth_trumps) January 8, 2022
Hey @Delta – I’m non-binary and flew you TODAY. I haven’t updated my ID’s yet though. When I do, am I banned from being your customer?
This mess has lawsuit all over it. https://t.co/GXJXNpMTt8
— Racheline Maltese (@racheline_m) January 6, 2022
.@Delta needs to get with the program. Gender marker X has been available for years now. Change your system and accommodate these passengers, now. #nonbinary https://t.co/uvkrP0silL
— Rep Brianna Titone – COHD27 (@BriannaForCO) January 6, 2022
@Delta 2 years ago while in the Transportation Committee I voted to pass NH state liscenses to allow an X for nonbinary citizens. This law is now in effect. Are you telling me you’re going to deny my people the right to travel based on their legal ID? @ACLU this is discrimination https://t.co/n1OTlgHeHq
— Rep. Nicole Klein Knight (@RepNicoleK) January 8, 2022
Hey @Delta, this is completely ridiculous. Why are non-binary travelers with their updated legal identification being denied flights on your airline? If they have the appropriate ID gender marker as legally recognized by their state government, isn’t this now your problem to fix? https://t.co/k9jR933B8X
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) January 6, 2022
See? Look how easy this is. @AmericanAir did it and had no issues. Why can’t you do this?https://t.co/7qgoqn4Ye3
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) January 6, 2022
Wait wait wait wait… @Delta, this says you agreed to do this in 2019, along with the other major airlines. What happened? https://t.co/5sHLc2gBie pic.twitter.com/VT7Qq5Mv3l
This content was originally published here.
