They say WestJet is violating their human rights. “It’s a legal gender indicator in our laws, it’s a violation of the Charter [of Rights and Freedoms]Said Iz Lloyd, a non-binary person from Halifax who was recently denied boarding a WestJet flight until they agreed to identify their gender at birth. Lloyd, who uses their pronoun, said their passport has an X instead of a male or female. “It forces people to travel and break the rules.” A screenshot of one of Lloyd’s social media posts showing WestJet’s options for men or women on the booking page. (From Lloyd / TikTok) During the initial booking of a series of WestJet flights last week, Lloyd noted that only men or women based on gender are available. Lloyd picked one and assumed it would be easy to change it at the airport, but quickly discovered it would be anything but easy. WestJet staff would not let Lloyd board without using one of these two options. “I was told directly that the reason they flagged me was because I was trans. That was the only reason.” Lloyd says an employee reported them with the wrong sex several times and pushed them away even when Lloyd provided appropriate documents who reported their gender index as X. Lloyd called WestJet at the end of the trip and was told that the airline could do nothing but offer about $ 50 worth of WestJet. WestJet told the CBC via email on Wednesday that several unexpected hurdles with third-party booking companies had delayed the implementation of the X-index.
“At WestJet, it is our commitment to ensure that our guests have a fair travel experience and we owe a further explanation and apology for our progress in adding non-binary booking and check-in options,” said Denise Kenny. Media. WestJet representative. Air Canada allows the selection of “other” than men and women on its booking site. Some trans supporters say they would rather see X. Lloyd plans to travel to Montreal for surgery this summer and fears more problems with WestJet. (Frank Gunn / The Canadian Press) After doing some research on the internet, Lloyd discovered that WestJet had previously said that gender was necessary to determine the weight and balance requirements of flights and that Transport Canada did not recognize the X, which is not the case at present. Sau Sau Liu, Senior Communications Consultant for Transport in Canada, said that in 2019 the department informed advisory circulara document used to advise Canadian air carriers to use men’s weight for people with gender X. Transport Canada told the CBC via email that weight and balance have a direct effect on the stability and performance of the aircraft. “If a plane is too heavy, it may never get off the ground. If it is out of balance, it may be out of control when flying,” Liu said. This is why pilots and pilots must carry out weight and balance analysis before take-off, taking into account passengers, luggage, cargo and fuel, for example, to ensure that the aircraft’s center of gravity falls below safe range “. Frustrated and hurt by their experience, Lloyd went to the TikTok social media app. To their surprise the post burst, reaching over 50,000 views and received more than 800 comments. Lloyd says their experience has linked them to other trans people across Canada who have had similar problems with WestJet. Many say they were afraid to speak. “[WestJet is] They are constantly being labeled and shouted about, with many people coming forward saying, “That’s why I’m afraid to fly,” Lloyd said. Twitter screenshot submitted by Lloyd. (From Lloyd / Twitter) One of these individuals is a policy analyst and trans colleague named Mattie McMillan. Recognizes both her and them and uses the X index. McMillan says she tackles this issue every time she flies with WestJet for work. “Canadians with an X mark like me, people who go through the legal process to get the X ID, have to go through a lot of portals just so the big guys don’t have to comply with the law, they don’t have to comply with the Canadian values. “ He says that at this point he avoids flying whenever possible to avoid the difficulties that arise with “flying with WestJet and being trans”. “There were a lot of tears, it’s hard to put on a whole day [of work]and then you have to put in a whole day [at the airport] so that you can participate on the same level as your peers “. McMillan has been arguing with WestJet over the past three years and, with the help of other members of the community, recently sent WestJet a call for action. Mattie McMillan says she has had the same problem with WestJet for the past three years. (CBC) She was also in contact with the airline’s vice president of marketing and communications, Richard Bartrem, and was told she would raise the issue with the airline’s senior management. However, he says that if no action is taken by the end of June, lawyers will continue to pursue the matter further, possibly in court. “We have some law firms that offer their services considering any category [action] “Some situation, but in every way κάθε that any party can keep its head high on a plane, that is what we are leading to.” Lloyd says they hope to see change soon. “I do not want to fight constantly, I just want to be able to exist, but I also know that I have to leave a world for other trans people and trans children, so that they are not afraid,” Lloyd said. . “I want the Canadian government to do better,” Lloyd said, adding that it should require businesses to recognize gender X.