Gay Flight Attendants Won't Fly Air France to Iran

Gay flight attendants are refusing to provide services on Air France’s new route — to Tehran.

On April 17, Air France is set to begin flights to the Iranian capital, where Islamic fundamentalism has been the law of the land since the late 1970s.
The proposed new route has caused an uproar among members of cabin crew – after a corporate directive was issued requiring their female staff to wear head scarves and modest pant suits. In response, the company has said it will consider exemptions for women who object to flying the route.

While women are typically regarded as subordinate in countries such as Iran, self-avowed gay men and women face the death penalty. Accordingly, one gay male flight attendant is circulating a petition that’s already garnered close to 2,000 signatures.

As the petition reads, “homosexuality remains illegal in Iran. The penalty is up to 74 lashes for a minor, to death penalty for an adult.” The flight attendant, identified only as “Laurent,” is asking Air France to “grant gay crew members the right to refuse to go to a country where they could be killed for who they are.”