A US airline is doing away with its traditional male and female uniforms and adopting a gender-neutral dress code for crew.
Alaska Airlines announced this week that it had updated its dress code guidelines to make them more inclusive and gender-neutral, including staff of any gender identity being allowed to wear any uniform style and nail polish or make-up if they desire.
It has also introduced optional badges which show a staff member’s preferred pronouns, and grooming guidelines have been updated to allow for more diverse piercings, tattoos and hairstyles.
The carrier says it is working on giving customers the option to select their preferred pronouns on bookings by the end of 2022.
“I love who I am and refuse to make myself smaller in order to be accepted. This is one thing that I can’t compromise over,” said one crew member, Monique AKA “Mo,” from San Diego.
“We all want to look professional, and we all want to be ourselves at the same time - your gender shouldn’t define what you wear or how you look.”
The airline says it is also developing gender-neutral uniform pieces with Seattle designer Luly Yang, with input from nonconforming employees.
“I believe having the ability to have some form of self-identity is amazing,” said staff member Nesha, a customer service agent in Portland. “Allowing tattoos and nose rings as well as gender-neutral pieces is what makes Alaska such a great and inclusive company that everyone loves.”
Flight attendant Tim, who has worked for Alaska for 17 years, said the policy “shows people without telling them what Alaska’s values are”.
It comes after a complaint was filed against the airline by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in May 2021.
Non-binary flight attendant Justin Wetherell alleged that the airline’s gendered outfits led them to be misgendered at work.
The ACLU argued that the airline’s strictly ‘male’ and ‘female’ uniforms were a breach of Washington State law, which prohibits discrimination on basis of sex.
A statement from Alaska Airlines said: “This is an important step on a continued journey to be more inclusive, and there’s more work ahead. We will continue to look at our policies, programmes and practices to ensure we live our values and create a place where everyone feels they belong.”
It’s not the first airline to go gender-neutral - Icelandic newcomer PLAY was the first to launch a gender-neutral uniform range in July 2021, featuring comfy suits, logo T-shirts and white trainers.
