Delta Airlines faced heat from an Arizona woman for not letting her buy a gender 'X' plane ticket for her non-binary child. The airlines told the woman that it only recognizes male and female genders.
Arizona resident, 52-year-old Dawn Henry, noted in a series of tweets on Thursday, January 6, that she was trying to buy a surprise plane ticket for her 21-year-old, who is non-binary. It was then she found out that Delta only allows male and female gender options.
Henry alleged Delta of discriminating against non-binary individuals and 'not allowing them to fly despite legal ID issued by states that allow X on birth certificates and state-issued IDs.'
TSA recognizes X as a gender marker on state IDs
Henry noted in his tweets that TSA accepts X as a gender marker on state IDs. She said that while trying to buy an airplane ticket for her adult non-binary kid, she discovered that the only gender options in Delta Airlines' online reservation systems are male or female. "TSA told to call the airline to get them to add the correct X gender marker by hand when booking," she said.
Henry further noted that when she called Delta Airlines regarding the same, the rep said 'she was unable to change the gender designation to X.' Henry then told her all about the TSA's guidelines for the 'non-binary designation.' Henry noted that after being put on hold for 30 minutes, the rep told her 'it doesn't matter what the ID says, use what's on the birth certificate.'
'It's the policy'
"I explained that the Birth Certificate also says X. I was put on hold again," she wrote. After some time, a Delta Airlines supervisor in Atlanta and told her that their system only uses male/female. "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 supervisor told her that it was the policy at Delta.
Non Binary individuals, like Henry's child, do not identify as male or female. They have 'X' gender marker printed on their birth certificate.
