Gay Air France flight attendants want the right to refuse flights to Iran because of the country’s harsh penalties for homosexuality.
The airline’s employees want the opportunity to opt out of travel to Tehran, where being gay is punishable by death.
Air France is due to resume flying to Iran after an eight-year hiatus, a decision that does not sit well with the companies openly gay employees and their supporters who have begun a [Change.org petition]( https://www.change.org/p/airfrancefr-les-setwards-d-air-france-ne-veulent-pas-voler-vers-la-peine-de-mort-en-iran#delivered-to
|target=”_blank”) calling for the rights of staff working for the airline to be protected.
Written in French by a representative of the group, the online appeal says that it is “inconceivable to force someone to go to a country where his kind are condemned for who they are. The penalty is up to 74 lashes for a minor and the death penalty for an adult”.
The petition also points out that female flight attendants were recently allowed to opt out of Iranian flights after Air France told its stewardesses they must wear head scarves and wide pants once they land in Tehran, an outcry ensued, and the airliner allowed women who disagree with the policy to avoid the route.
In a little over a week the petition has received more than 22,000 signatures of support.
In response to the controversy the airline – which is part of the Franco-Dutch group Air France-KLM, issued a statement that said, “tolerance and respect for the cultures and customs in the countries served by the airline are part of the fundamental values of Air France and its staff”.
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