Trans Woman Outed on WestJet Flight

A trans woman has claimed to have been publicly outed while boarding a WestJet flight to Saskatoon from Calgary, reports CBC News Canada.

Lenore Herrem was boarding her flight when an agent expressed confusion at her ID, which identified her as male.

“[The agent] got upset and said, ’They don’t match,’ but her colleague said, ’Yes, they do, it’s fine, go ahead,'” she claimed. “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.'”

The agent followed Herrem onto the plane and wouldn’t leave her alone.

“She rolled her eyes at me and said, ’Are you sure it wasn’t your girl name that was on the computer?'” Herrem recalled. “She outed me in front of the whole airplane.”

Herrem said she depends on passing as cisgender in public to feel safe, that the agent “took that away” and made her feel “unsafe, vulnerable, [and] belittled.

WestJet has since issue an apology in a statement to CBC News Canada: “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. 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.”

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