A non-binary passenger is reportedly suing budget airline Ryanair for its lack of gender-neutral options when booking tickets.
According to daily German newspaper Tagesspiegel, the passenger wanted to book a flight from Berlin to Gran Canaria in October 2021, but the online form required them to describe themselves as Herr (Mr), Frau (Mrs) or Fräulein (Miss), with no other options.
The lawsuit will be heard on Wednesday (19 March). According to German LGBTQ+ organisation Bundesverband Trans*, Ryanair refused to settle out of court.
The customer decided to sue the airline in July 2023, under the General Equal Treatment Act, on the grounds of discrimination, and will seek €5,000 (£4,100/$5,400) in compensation. They are also want Ryanair to amend its website to offer the option of a gender-neutral title.
Germany legally recognises non-binary people, one of only 18 countries worldwide to do so on legal documents. The country also updated a law last April to allow trans and non-binary people to change their legal name and gender more easily.
A petition urging the UK government to follow suit has gained more than 4,800 signatures.
“Many non-binary people in the UK currently feel invisible and ignored,” the petition’s author, Thomas Hockley, said. “Therefore, we think this government should seek to reform the Gender Recognition Act so that it extends legal recognition to a third, non-binary gender.”
A similar petition in 2021 attracted more than 140,000 signatures but the Conservative government of the time cited “complex” legal difficulties as the reason to take no action.
If the new petition gains at least 10,000 signatures, the government is duty-bound to respond. If 100,000 people back it, it will be considered for debate in parliament.
PinkNews has contacted Ryanair for comment.
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