Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

United Airlines Sets Extraordinary Precedent With New Non-Binary Gender Bookings

United Airlines Sets Extraordinary Precedent With New Non-Binary Gender Bookings
Robert Alexander / Contributor / Getty Images

Flights with United are about to be a bit less frustrating for non-binary individuals.

The airline released a statement on Friday outlining its new 3rd gender options when booking flights, including the ability to choose the gender neutral title "Mx." instead of just "Mr." and "Ms."


In addition, when indicating their gender during the booking process, customers will now have the ability to select U (Undisclosed) or X (Unspecified) in addition to the binary M (Male) and F (Female).

This will correspond to the gender marker on their ID or passport.

This change was motivated by the recent recommendation of 2 airline trade groups to make non-binary gender options standard for all airlines.

Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association both voted to adopt a new best practice standard for customers who have "non-binary IDs."

According to USA Today, this new standard was to become effective on June 1, 2019, with airline participation ultimately being optional.

The US' five biggest airlines, Alaska Airlines, American, Delta, Southwest and United, all previously stated that they intended to comply with the standard.

United is the first to make it happen.

United worked with LGBTQ+ youth suicide prevention organization The Trevor Project while implementing the changes. This consultation included employee training programs, including information on using customers' preferred pronouns.

Amit Paley, CEO and executive director of The Trevor Project, said of the partnership:

"The Trevor Project is grateful for United Airlines' support of our life-saving work on behalf of LGBTQ youth."
"We are thrilled to bring Trevor's expertise on the mental health of LGBTQ people to United to ensure its employees maintain safe and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ employees and guests."

The Human Rights Campaign's acting director of the Workplace Equality Program, Beck Bailey, commented on the partnership as well:

"By providing non-binary gender selection for ticketing and the gender-inclusive honorific 'Mx' in user profiles, United Airlines is taking an important step forward for non-binary inclusion."

United's Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist issued a hopeful statement about the changes:

"United is determined to lead the industry in LGBT inclusivity, and we are so proud to be the first US airline to offer these inclusive booking options for our customers."
"United is excited to share with our customers, whether they identify along the binary of male or female or not, that we are taking the steps to exhibit our care for them while also providing additional employee training to make us even more welcoming for all customers and employees."

United also posted the announcement to Twitter, where it received quite a bit of attention.





Not all of the attention was positive, but there were plenty of people fighting back against the negativity.




For those who exist somewhere on the gender spectrum other than male or female, this is a very welcome change.

For those who do identify as binary male or female, this change won't affect them at all; "M" and "F" will still be right there on the form like they always have been.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Ted Cruz; Kelvin Sampson
Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images; Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Houston Fans Livid After Ted Cruz 'Curse' Strikes Again At NCAA Basketball Championship

In 2013, 2016 and 2021, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was labeled the most hated man in Congress—by members of his own party. In 2023, Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz replaced him as the "most hated."

In a 2016 CNN interview, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Harriet Tubman
Library of Congress/Getty Images

National Parks Website Restores Harriet Tubman Photo To 'Underground Railroad' Page After Backlash

Following significant backlash, the National Park Service restored a previously-erased photo of Harriet Tubman from a webpage dedicated to the history of the Underground Railroad, in which she led 13 missions to rescue enslaved people.

A spokesperson said the changes were not authorized by the agency's leadership.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot from Fox News of Jackie DeAngelis and Tommy Tuberville
Fox News

Tuberville Now Claims 'Entire Men's Teams' Are 'Turning Trans' To Play Against Women

Alabama Republican Senator Tommy "Coach" Tuberville appeared on Fox News Sunday to again spread unhinged misinformation about transgender athletes.

Speaking with guest host Jackie DeAngelis, Tuberville stated:

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot from Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver/YouTube

John Oliver Epically Calls Out Awkward Truth Behind Former NCAA Swimmer's Anti-Trans Tirades

On Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the outspoken host devoted the entire program to the attack on trans girls and women who play sports by the GOP.

Oliver began the program saying:

Keep ReadingShow less
man in front of computer code
Chris Yang on Unsplash

Conspiracy Theories That Seem Believable The More You Look Into Them

We tend to think of conspiracy theories as a phenomenon of the digital age. But the internet and mobile devices only allow them to be created and spread faster.

Conspiracy theories have likely been around as long as human civilization has. They are, at their root, just another form of rumors and gossip.

Keep ReadingShow less