from
Radio Netherlands Worldwide
Quote:
Gay KLM stewards want to avoid Iran
Trouble is brewing at Dutch airline KLM, where a number of homosexual stewards want to be excused from flying to Iran. Iran is one of the most intolerant countries in the world when it comes to homosexuality, and the stewards--who have to spend the night there because of their work--do not feel safe.
Dutch newspaper AD reports that they asked KLM for alternative destinations but were turned down.
KLM has already allowed a number of stewardesses not to serve on flights to Iran because "unpleasant things happened to them there", but the company says it cannot make any more exceptions. No further changes will be made unless it becomes really unsafe for personnel.
The FNV trade union confederation is aware of the dispute but says finding a solution is complicated. Female cabin crew personnel who work on flights to Iran have to wear headscarves on arrival. According to the union, they regard this as unpleasant.
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I completely sympathize with gay male flight attendants who don't want to spend time in Iran, but I also see the pickle this puts KLM in. If they allow female and gay male FAs to not take those shifts, what will they have left? I'm not suggesting KLM has no heterosexual male FAs, but I wonder if they have enough of them to maintain Iranian flights.