Gay stewards for Air France outraged over Iran’s stance on homosexuality are crying foul over the re-opened Paris to Tehran route — and some are refusing to work on it.
One steward started a petition on Change.org titled “Gay stewards from Air France don’t want to fly to the death penalty in Iran” that has over 15,000 supporters.
Homosexuality in Iran is illegal. Some people are killed for being gay, and some gay men in Iran are even forced to have gender reassignment surgery even if they don’t identify as transgender.
The Local in France has the scoop:
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“Sure, our sexuality isn’t written on our passports and it doesn’t change the way we work as a crew,” wrote ‘Laurent M’ in an open letter to the French government and the CEO of Air France Frédéric Gagey.“But it is inconceivable to force someone to go to a country where his kind are condemned for who they are.”The letter points out that homosexuality in Iran is illegal and comes with a penalty of 74 lashes for a minor, while adults can be given the death penalty.
However, it seems that ‘Laurent M’ doesn’t speak for all gay stewards for Air France.
A gay steward and member of the Air France LGBT union told The Local:
“This is not an idea we support. We cannot have lists of people based on their sexuality. If gay stewards don’t want to fly to Iran, then there are around 20 other destinations where gay rights are not recognized that they would have to opt out of too.”
A similar story made its way around the globe last week, when a group of stewardesses and female pilots refused to fly the route because it would’ve required them to wear veils.
That issue was resolved when union backers reached a compromise that allowed them to refuse to work the flights without fear of termination or retaliation. Let’s hope the gay stewards can work out the same arrangement.
Sue Nock
and I don’t blame them
Jess Kalinowsky
hope I have gay flight attendants on my way to Paris in June
Noel Hoklin
Me too! I’m going June 8!
Michael Helgemo
As they should with these backward religious zealots
Jay A. Scaramazzo
They have the right to refuse.
Mark Pointon
Especially if you fear for you’re on safety!
Stache
I don’t think they have to worry. Yes they still publicly hang you with enthusiasm for being gay in Iran. However, there would be an outcry (I think) if they started executing other nations gay people.
Daniel-Reader
Israel, for example, was given nuclear weapons to protect themselves from crazy governments trying to harm them, so shouldn’t LGBTA people (i.e. billions of LGBT people, family, and friends) also be afforded whatever is required to defend their human rights against crazy government? Isn’t that the bigger conversation?
Antony Nguyen
They shouldnt be asked to go to a country that can have them put to death for being themselves
joeyty
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/11/europe/britain-muslims-survey/ On a related note.
Kangol
Is it just Iran? What about Saudi Arabia? What about Iraq, where gay people are regularly killed now (when they weren’t under Saddam)? What about United Arab Emirates (UAE), where gays are beheaded? What about Mauritania, which has very strict anti-gay laws? Do they also fear Nigeria, whose northern states have Sharia law that punishes homosexual acts with death? Just wondering why Iran, which has abhorrent anti-gay laws, is singled out and not these other places where Air France flies?
martinbakman
In Iraq families can hire masked hit men to do away with their gay sons. In Syria gay men are tossed off of roof tops and afterwards the towns people finish the off by stoning. These stone aged monsters want to move to the West. I don’t blame French flight attendants not wanting to fly into places like Iran. I feel you!!
Taskebab
And yet gays love to hit the beaches and do some shopping in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Places where you’re killed if you’re gay are fine as long as they’re glamorous!
Frederick M. Weisinger
Hanging out in Iran ,definitely no fun.
Daggerman
…Can someone secretly drop a nuclear bomb on them? They’re shitty and their pathetic stupid outdated religions and beliefs are not for this planet. They prevent the human race progress in many respects. And I’d like to point out before people start, they believe so strongly about the afterlife so why not give it to them?!?!?????
GC1985
I get the concern, but I don’t think Iran is going to execute French citizens when they are trying to rebuild their economy and reopen ties to France. Many younger Iranians I know here in the US are quite liberal… Moreso than other Muslim countries. Iran’s government is operated by the past generation though. Most of Iran is under 30. Most of them weren’t even around when the 1979 revolution happened.
Does AirFrance operate flights to Egypt and Tunisia too? I am quite sure they do. They have similar laws.
Peggy M.e. Postma
Can’t blame them…..!
DCguy
Why just Iran? Air France flies to:
Saudi Arabia
Yemen
Uganda
Russia
All with severe jail or death penalties for gays.
Terrycloth
*gasp ! There are Gay flight attendants? No !
Sweetie Pie
They should refuse to fly to Mississippi, as well
Hussain-TheCanadian
I smell politics@GC1985: I smell politics.
@joeyty: (Hussain rolls eyes in slow motion for dramatic effect)
calpoidog
Are you kidding? And miss out on those hot, sex-starved Iranian men? I’d be volunteering for the first flight!
I have a Swiss friend who’s been twice recently and he says while there are definitely no gay bars, there is definitely a gay life in Tehran, pretty much out in the open. This is one of those things that you’re just afraid of what you’re not familiar with….
DennisBTR
The term Stewart has not been used in years. As a gay FLIGHT ATTENDANT I hope you will get your terminology correct in the future, but at least you did not say faggot Stewart.
captainburrito
Has this ever really been an issue? I mean even women in some of these countries are not allowed out alone unchaperoned. Surely they exempt foreigners.
scotty
i wouldnt go there if i was str8. and thats a big if
joeyty
@Hussain-TheCanadian: Why roll your eyes at that ? Queerty won’t cover it like other gay blogs have. You’re lucky you live in Canada.
Hussain-TheCanadian
@joeyty: Rolling my eyes at your scare mongering; there are alot of gay related news that Queerty does not cover true, but it seems to me you have a fixation on Western Muslims – I didn’t see you post the article about Saudi Arabia executing a horse for gay sexual behavior, why not?
joeyty
@Hussain-TheCanadian: I didn’t know about the horse . Scare-mongering ? Well..some things gay men SHOULD be scared of. Or at least very aware. Anyway, Towleroad (which I normally hate) did have some good commentary over that news.
Louis F. Fiol
How about we stop flying there.
Hussain-TheCanadian
@joeyty: You should look up the articles, most of them are in Arabic but there are some in English – They are both funny and scary.
Have you been to Iran? or Saudi Arabia?
joeyty
@Hussain-TheCanadian: I have been to neither.
joeyty
@Hussain-TheCanadian: My point is not to say “ha ha, look how kooky those foreigners are” but to express concern about what happens in Europe and the U.S.
Hussain-TheCanadian
@joeyty: I wouldn’t recommend Saudi Arabia, but I had a lot of fun in Iran, especially the Northern and Western parts – I think you’d like it.
@joeyty: I really don’t think anything is happening in Europe or the USA – Muslims are still a minority, and I firmly believe its up to their “host” societies to integrate them, especially the French.
Jim Guinnessey
Given Iran’s devious politicians, France’s gay flight attendants might become kidnapped as hostages as tools to blackmail France to get something from the French that Iran might want. Kidnapping by ISIS is another more deadly possibility. AIR FRANCE should be careful
when servicing Arab and Muslim countries now.
o.codone
Hillary wants to bring these stone age throwbacks right here. Then they can harass the locals, go to gay pride, stalk and harass gay men in their neighborhoods. And none of the fags on here can see the future. Open your eyes girls, that sh it is coming here.
GC1985
@joeyty: Aren’t we all tired of SeeingAbsolutelyNothing? He acts as if he knows everything.
@o.codone: Nope. That’s what the republicans including TRump wants to do secretly. They want to bomb these countries so civil wars break out and Muslims flood this country. You see why the republican party is so close to the Saudi Princes? Heck, Donald Trump was bailed out by a Saudi Prince in the past. YOu open your little eyeballs for once. Maybe stop drinking the republican kool-aid.
GC1985
Who invented Daesh? The republican party. You want more terrorists everywhere… vote republican! That’s a guarantee for more terrorism. Never mind that over 2,000 Americans died on US Soil while we had a republican as President. A President who ignored all the warning signs and allowed 9/11 to happen.
o.codone
@GC1985: Hillary just got her ass totally kicked by Bernie. Good luck to that bi tch. She’s going to lose.
Stilinski26
I dont blame them but I am sure the company will protect them from any discrimination.
GC1985
@o.codone: Nope. Bernie got done in last night. Even most of those who viewed it saw that. Bernie has zero qualifications, much like Trump. Hillary is going to win against Trump. Hillary won the debate… clearly. Once again.
GC1985
I don’t know what debate Mr. Drug Prescription addict was watching last night, but the one I saw was where Bernie did badly. Pretty embarrassing performance… much like the interview he had with NYC Post. Clearly you saw who has more qualifications and credentials. Sorry Bernie… you shouldn’t be criticizing anyone on their credentials when you have done little in the 20+ years you were in Congress.
Bernie is in tough shape now.
GC1985
Oh and I forgot to add… laughing and waving your hands while someone is talking is representative of a five year old. Bernie failed miserably last night. He didn’t make any good sticking points and his yapping about Wall Street is ironic. He voted favorably for deregulation himself. Flapping gums is all I see from a desperate man.
I expected a lot more from him. Insulting Hillary while she is making some major policy statements won’t win you points.
Transparency… yeah… Bernie hasn’t released his tax returns, while Hillary has released every single one. In fact Hillary is the only candidate to have done this out of all of them (republicans and democrats combined).
o.codone
@GC1985: Hey you fat-roll mexican, the “NYC” Post? There’s no such thing. Moron. Fat moron.