ATLANTA, GA - At a time when taking a flight can be an adventure between computer crashes, air traffic control issues, and parts falling off airplanes, the last thing airline customers give a rip about is diversity, equity, and inclusion. “Just get me to my damn destination in one piece!” Apparently, Delta Airlines hasn’t gotten the message.
Delta’s Chief Diversity Officer, Kyra Lynn Johnson, believes that some facets of airline travel are not “inclusive” enough, One America News (OANN) reports. One part of air travel she has an issue with is the use of “ladies and gentlemen” by employees. That phrase evidently doesn’t meet Delta’s goal of “boldly pursuing equity.”
Delta’s woke agenda has hit every area of the airline, from hiring practice to such mundane matters such as gate announcements.
“So we’re beginning to take a hard look at things like our gatehouse [?] announcements. You know, we welcome ‘ladies and gentlemen.’ And we’ve asked ourselves, ‘Is that as gender inclusive as we want to be?’” Johnson said in February 2021 in a panel with other DEI zealots. “You know, we’re looking at some legacy language that exists in some of our employee manuals. And getting to the root of the way some things are described and saying, ‘Does that actually send a message of inclusivity?”
As a reminder, there are two genders…male and female.
In December 2020, amid the COVID pandemic when Delta should have been more concerned with getting customers back on airplanes, the company released an “inclusive language guide” that directed employees and leaders not to use terms that state biological facts…that is that there are only two genders.
“Use gender-neutral language and pronouns. Do not use language that suggests a gender binary (male-female),” the guide said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Delta, and a spokesperson said the company encourages its employees to use inclusive language.
“Delta encourages our people to use language that is inclusive of everyone as our global customer base includes a broad range of diversity in cultural backgrounds, identity, and experiences,” the spokesperson said.
Delta has also bought into the whole “antiracist” trope pushed by race hustler and activist Ibram X. Kendi (formerly known pre-woke as Henry Rogers). During a DEI panel in 2021, Johnson was pushing Delta to be an “antiracist company.”
“To really come out and say, as an organization, that we are an antiracist company was really important to us,” she said. “We are going to actively seek diversity. We’re also talking about how we’re going to boldly pursue equity. And we’re talking about the steps we’re taking to consciously promote inclusion.”
“So we realize, like many of you have, that it’s not enough just to say, ‘We aren’t racist,’ but to say that you are antiracist,” Johnson continued.
Delta is also using the same approach in its hiring practices.
“We said we’re going to reimagine and redefine our talent strategy,” Johnson said, saying the focus is on “being intentional about the representation that we need.” In other words, straight, white males need not apply.
“We’re starting on a quarterly basis to specifically measure those representation gaps at every level of the company. So we’re looking at the front line representation gap,” she said.
Delta has learned nothing from Bud Light, Target, Disney, and other companies that put woke DEI policies ahead of their customers. To that end, Johnson said that the airline was looking at how it is spending its “PAC dollars” and which “legislation we should support” to mitigate so-called “inequity,” she said.
Johnson said the company was going to “flat out address inequity.”
“And when we say we’re boldly pursuing equity, that’s what we mean. So we’re going to lend our voice and our brand to things that support…justice and…equity. We’re going to look where we spend our PAC dollars. We’re going to look at what legislation we should support,” Johnson said at the panel.
Johnson admitted that some employees are “not comfortable” with the changes. No kidding.
“Perhaps the greatest challenge has been normalizing those conversations,” she said. “So, notice I said the company has set an expectcation that those conversations are to be normalized. That doesn’t mean everyone feels that way. It doesn’t mean that everyone’s comfortable having those conversations.”
“Normalize” those conversations or look for another job.
Fox News Digital reached out to Delta about Johnson’s stewardship of the DEI program.
“Delta is demonstrating an authentic commitment to being a workplaces where all people can thrive and where we reflect the rich humanity of the customrs and communities we serve across the globe.”
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