An Arizona mother put Delta Airlines on blast for refusing to let her buy a gender 'X' plane ticket for her non-binary child, with the airline subsequently telling her that it only recognizes male and female genders.
Dawn Henry, 52, called out the airline in a series of tweets on Thursday, claiming she was attempting to buy a surprise plane ticket for her 21-year-old, who is nonbinary, when she discovered Delta only allows for male and female gender options.
'Delta is discriminating against #nonbinary individuals and not allowing them to fly despite legal ID issued by states that allow X on birth certificates and state-issued IDs,' Henry tweeted while tagging the airline in her post.
'This thread is the ongoing saga of me trying to purchase a ticket for my non-binary adult child.'
'Some context: TSA requires that the boarding pass reservation match your state issued ID. TSA accepts X as a gender marker on state IDs,' she continued in her Twitter thread.
'The problem isn't with TSA. The problem is airlines, like Delta and Alaska Air #nonbinary #LGBTQ.'
Pictured: Dawn Henry, 52, called out the airline in a series of tweets on Thursday, claiming she was attempting to buy a surprise plane ticket for her 21-year-old, who is nonbinary
'Delta is discriminating against #nonbinary individuals and not allowing them to fly despite legal ID issued by states that allow X on birth certificates and state-issued IDs,' Henry tweeted
Pictured: Henry's Twitter thread from Thursday, where the 52-year-old called out Delta Airlines for not allowing her nonbinary child to choose the 'X' gender option on her boarding pass
Nonbinary people like Henry's child do not identify as male or female exclusively, with Henry's child - who uses 'they/them' pronouns, having an 'X' gender marker printed on both their birth certificate and Washington state driver's license, where they live.
The Transportation Security Administration, an agency within the US Department of Homeland Security that oversees travel security, enforces that policy at security checkpoints, NBC News reported, and accepts gender X ID.
Last year, the US State Department issued its first ever gender X passport, to a prominent Colorado LGBT campaigner, and plans on rolling them out to any American who wants one in 2022.
The incident comes three years after several major US airlines - Delta included - announced they would add a nonbinary option for their booking process, however only American and United Airlines currently provide such options.
'I am committed to fixing this, not just for my child, but for everyone who holds legal ID with an X gender marker,' Henry told NBC News in a Twitter message.
'My hope is that pressure on the airlines (not just Delta, but the others that have not updated their systems) will get this done.'
Delta Air Lines jets are seen at gates at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, December 22, 2021
