Trans Woman Claims That She Was Outed By WestJet Airlines Employee

Seems like airline controversy just won't let up, as seen by a new WestJet Airlines scandal, which reportedly saw an agent out a trans woman in front of the entire airplane.

Just last weekend, Lenore Herrem was traveling from Calgary to Saskatoon and encountered some trouble when boarding the aircraft. As per Herrem, the agent was "confused" when she presented her ID, which marked her gender as male. Considering that the ID was more than five years old, she decided to make mention of her gender, but that didn't quite do the trip. "[The agent] got upset and said, 'They don't match,' but her colleague said, 'Yes, they do, it's fine, go ahead,'" she told CBC News Canada. "So I gently and discreetly expressed to her, 'It's because I'm transgender, that's why they don’t match up. But my face is the same and my ID matches the name on my boarding pass.'"

Unfortunately, Herrem's battle didn't end there as the boarding agent followed her into the plane and brought up the identification debacle once again. "She rolled her eyes at me and said, ’Are you sure it wasn't your girl name that was on the computer?'" Herrem recalled in the interview. "She outed me in front of the whole airplane."

Meanwhile, WestJet Airlines have broken their silence on the controversial, releasing a statement and admitting that they are investigating Herrem's claims. "WestJet's inclusive culture is a point of pride for WestJetters and our goal has always been to create a safe and inclusive environment for all," the statement read. "We have extended our apologies to the guest and are reviewing the matter as we are continuously assessing and evolving our practices and policies to maximize inclusiveness and celebrate diversity."

Photo: Getty Images


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