In a bid to become the world's most "woke" airline, Virgin Atlantic announced a new gender-inclusive uniform policy that encourages male staff to wear skirts and pronoun badges, including "Mx," "U" and "X."
Employees of Virgin Atlantic are set to be given "gender-inclusive" uniform options. Before, the "red" option was the required uniform for female and the "burgundy option" for male flight attendants.
Both options are now made available for either sex. Additional options are also available for non-binary members of the crew. (Related: Nobel Prize winner dismantles transgenderism as 'unscientific,' at odds with fundamental biology.)
Pronoun markers "Mx," "U" and "X" will also be available for customers who have passports with "gender-neutral gender markers," which include passport holders from countries such as the U.S., India and Pakistan. This does not include passport holders from the United Kingdom.
Virgin Atlantic has not provided an update on the policy for those who misgender a member of its staff or another passenger, although the airline's staff members are now required to attend inclusivity training.
TikTok star Tyreece Nye also showcased the airline's new policy in a fashion photo shoot published on Sept. 27. Virgin Atlantic described this effort as part of "an ongoing drive to champion the individuality of its people and customers."
Netizens have mixed reactions to the new policy
Reactions to the new policy were mixed online, with some netizens praising the company's diverse attitude and others calling it a waste of time. Others questioned the airline's need for this new policy instead of giving its staff a pay raise or lowering ticket prices for its customers.
One netizen said: "I would bet that the majority of Virgin Atlantic staff would rather have a pay rise than this."
The new "inclusive" policy comes with the airline's partnership with "RuPaul's Drag Race" star Michelle Visage's "Be Yourself" campaign and a "fluid approach" to uniform requirements that will "reflect the diversity" of Virgin Atlantic's workforce, from its crew, pilots and ground team.
Visage, who describes herself as the mother of a "trans non-binary child," said: "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."
Juha Jarvinen, the company's chief commercial officer, said: "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 policy came to light when research from the company found that 25 percent of workers feel the pressure of hiding their true selves at work. The research also claimed that enabling employees to express their true selves boosts happiness, increases mental wellbeing, creates a more positive workplace culture and provides a better experience for customers.
In 2019, the airline was one of the first to drop the requirement for female cabin crew members to wear makeup while on duty. It also allowed them to wear trousers instead of skirts. Earlier this year, the company also eased restrictions for crew members and frontline workers with visible tattoos.
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Watch this video to know more about Virgin Atlantic's new policy.
This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.
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