The National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA)—and its counterpart associations Aviation Pride UK and the European Pride in Aviation Network—are hoping bring a message of inclusivity to EBACE 2024.
“It’s all about showcasing our message and our mission, which is to build support and unite the LGBTQ+ community worldwide. We're super excited because particularly in the last year, there's been a lot of work on international outreach,” Will Robson of Aviation Pride UK told AIN.
“Mexico has just started a chapter. We've also got a chapter out in Australia. So the community is building and as we know with everything with sort of inclusive team diversity, strength and numbers.”
Last year, when U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) remarked during a Senate committee hearing that it was no comfort to the public if their pilot was a ‘“transgender witch,” NGPA called his comments transphobic and committed itself to “ensuring every pilot, and aviation professional, is empowered to freely express and bring their whole selves to work.”
Robson said the organization remains focused on that mission statement and encouraging inclusive workspaces to the companies participating at EBACE.
“I think a lot of the issues that we're facing trying to put across those messages and values into other organizations is mainly due to a lack of education. I think a lot of people don't intend to be exclusive, but quite often it's just been a way of the past,” he noted. “One thing that we can do is show that there are ways to turn what you're currently doing into an inclusive workforce. That's part of what we're doing with advocacy outreach with different organizations.”
Robson is also aware that the industry can be “very conservative. Last year when we exhibited [at EBACE], I was sort of just walking the floor and I would chat with people, and a lot of times people would just sort of say, ‘Well, why do we need this type of organization?’”
For him, the answer to that question comes from personal experience. “I was scared of coming out in the airline environment. The first question would always be, ‘Well, have you got a girlfriend?’ For a long time, I had this fake girlfriend that I used to tell people [about]. I didn't have that confidence to say no, I've actually got a boyfriend,” he said.
“So I had to go along with it and that actually puts me in jeopardy when it comes to safety because it's now sort of putting me on the back foot with wanting to speak out.”
Those experiences taught him the importance of visibility within the industry. “The visibility is important, educating people with terminology, pronouns, and how people actually feel when they have those conversations with people,” he said.
“Because at the end of the day, it comes down to safety, but also when you want to sort out a productive workforce and something that's truly inclusive, you need to be having those conversations—whether you’re from the U.S. or the UK.”