Virgin Atlantic’s crew, pilots, and ground team will now be able to wear the uniform that best expresses their gender identity.
As a result, all staff will be able to choose between sporting the carrier’s celebrated red Vivienne Westwood-designed skirts and blazers or suavely suiting up in burgundy.
The new uniform guidelines are being introduced alongside optional pronoun badges for all those working for or travelling with the airline.
The badges are available to teams and customers, with the latter available at check-in.Non-binary cabin crew member Jamie Forsstrom is delighted with the moves - which also include a new option for passport holders to select ‘U’ or ‘X’ gender codes on their booking, as well as the gender-neutral title, ‘Mx’.
“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,” they praised.
The inclusive policy was launched with a fashion shoot featuring TV stars Michelle Visage, Tyreece Nye, Talulah-Eve, and activist Tanya Compas.Ru Paul’s Drag Race legend Michelle commented: “As the mother of a non-binary child, and as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community, these efforts by Virgin Atlantic to further inclusivity for its people are extremely important and personal to me.”
Airline leaders are also implementing a longer-term plan to amend communication preferences to ensure customers are addressed by their preferred pronouns at all times.
To help implement the new policies, mandatory inclusivity training will also be rolled out at all levels across Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holidays, as well as in conjunction with tourism partners and hotels.
The initiative is the latest frontier in Virgin’s Be Yourself campaign. In 2019, executives offered cabin crew members the choice of whether to wear make-up as well as the option to wear trousers and flat shoes.
