Pride in Aviation: Why LGBTQ+ Representation Matters
6/16/202636 min
Happy Pride Month, everyone! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
Let’s appreciate how far we’ve come as a community— how we’ve earned our place, gained a meaningful representation, and how we can walk freely and fearlessly anytime, anywhere. While there are still stereotypes surrounding the LGBTQ+ community and so much work to be done in breaking those stigmas, we can’t help but be proud of the progress and effort each of us is putting in to make our voices heard and our presence felt.
“Why are many flight attendants gay?” We’ve been asked this a lot, and when we really think about it, it’s likely because they feel safer in our industry! In this episode, we’re diving into all things queer in aviation. We’re squashing stereotypes, talking about why true representation matters, and unapologetically, being ourselves (Sorry, not sorry!).
Here is what Pride looks like at 35,000 feet!
Episode Highlights:
[0:00] Welcome to Episode #37!
[1:00] #1 reason people visit our website
[1:48] Rich had fun doing turns
[4:26] Drew & what pins represent
[5:44] Being a safe space for someone
[7:42] The stereotype
[8:55] Have conversation with people first
[11:08] Celebrating YOU in the aviation industry
[14:14] Are flight attendants getting enough media representation?
[16:56] Now, it's getting better! (ask flight attendants)
[18:39] The industry & the queer community
[20:32] Mindset shifts, empowerment
[22:17] Traveling anywhere, safely, and without judgment
[23:46] Rainbow pins & lanyards
[25:37] Uniform diversity (Airlines, listen!)
[29:18] StaffTraveler is super convenient
[31:03] The true essence of Pride celebrations
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAndrew· Host0:00
You see a rainbow lanyard and you think, "At least one other person on this plane is gonna be cool today."
Rich· Host0:04
Right.
Andrew· Host0:04
[laughs] Don't ask these flight attendants, 'cause we're just hilarious, sassy gays.
Rich· Host0:09
Yeah, right.
Andrew· Host0:09
[laughs] So we're not gonna help with the- [laughs] Are you saying we're the stereotype?
Rich· Host0:12
Are we a stereotype?
Andrew· Host0:14
Maybe.
Rich· Host0:14
Yeah.
Andrew· Host0:15
We might be.
Rich· Host0:15
No, we definitely are. I do feel like now it's getting better in terms of representation in the media, but not for flight attendants. [laughs] [laughs] They've yet to, uh, to figure that one out.
Andrew· Host0:26
They've yet to figure out our job.
Rich· Host0:27
So, yeah.
Andrew· Host0:28
[upbeat music] Why are so many flight attendants gay?
Rich· Host0:42
This is a question that we get all the time, especially as two gay flight attendants. And believe it or not, it is the- Wait, there's two gay flight attendants? [laughs] Yeah. You don't remember that thing where we walked down the aisle and committed to each other for life?
Andrew· Host0:57
I remember.
Rich· Host0:57
Do, do you recall?
Andrew· Host0:58
It was a joke.
Rich· Host0:58
Yeah.
Andrew· Host0:58
I remember.
Rich· Host0:59
[laughs] So why are so many flight attendants gay? And believe it or not, this is the number one Google search that brings people to twoguysonaplane.com, which I find hilarious, and I'm also a little flattered. I'm like, "[scoffs] We're the number one source for gay flight attendant material."
Andrew· Host1:15
Love it.
Rich· Host1:15
Why not?
Andrew· Host1:15
[laughs] You're right. That's amazing.
Rich· Host1:17
But it's a question that is rooted, of course, in stereotypes, because not all flight attendants are gay, not all male flight attendants are gay. But it is a question that we get a lot, and we've talked about it a couple times on our podcast. I know we did an earlier episode,