Virgin Atlantic is now allowing male cabin crew and pilots to wear skirts and female colleagues to wear trousers, so staff can “express their true identity” at work.
Staff including plane crew and pilots will now be given a free choice between the company’s ‘red’ option, previously most commonly worn by female flight attendants, and the ‘burgundy’ option, previously worn by male flight attendants.
Virgin, which has previously removed the ban on tattoos and makes the wearing of make-up optional, said it wanted staff to “wear the clothing that expresses how they identify or present themselves”.
The carrier has also changed its ticketing system. Travelers who hold passports with gender-neutral markers can select “U” or “X” gender codes on their booking as well as the gender-neutral title “Mx.”
New uniforms have been created by British fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood.
Jaime Forsstroem, cabin crew at Virgin Atlantic commented: “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.”
Michelle Visage, a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race Allstars, said: “People feel empowered when they are wearing what best represents them, and this gender identity policy allows people to embrace who they are and bring their full selves to work.”
