Carol McGiffin has stated her opposition to British Airways’ proposal to provide non-binary uniforms to its staff.
Earlier this year, the airline introduced new uniforms, including a jumpsuit option and the ability for male workers and pilots to wear make-up and carry purses.
Carol, 63, a former Loose Women panellist, has criticised the changes and taken aim, stating she didn’t want to see ‘a bloke wearing a skirt’.
‘Personally I want to see someone walking up and down the aisles looking professional, like a woman, I’m not saying she has to wear a skirt, but I don’t want to see a bloke walking up and down wearing a skirt,’ she said while appearing on Eamonn Holmes’ and Isabel Webster’s GB News show.
‘I don’t know why but I am old fashioned like that. I want to see air stewards and stewardess looking very, very professional.
‘These are the people you rely on when you are flying and for me it is not a good idea.’
She then went on to say that the modifications ‘hadn’t gone down well with the crew either,’ save for the non-binary crew members.
She added: ‘People are saying that what they should have done is designed a uniform for the men, a uniform for the women, and a uniform for the non-binary people who want to be whatever they want, but where does it end? Where does it end? How many uniforms do you need?’
Despite her strong opinions, Carol was attacked by many people after a video of the incident was uploaded on X, previously Twitter.
‘Oh Carol…put all that hateful energy into something more productive,’ one person wrote.
‘This is a parody, right? Someone didn’t suggest that a man wearing a skirt would be less able to help passengers than a woman wearing a skirt?’ someone else said.
Another pondered: ‘What if it was a kilt?”
Meanwhile someone else offered their thoughts on Carol’s future travel plans: ‘Simple. Just use a different airline.’
However, when the new uniform options were presented earlier this year, many people shared their thoughts on the designs, but also had some criticisms.
One person pointed out the jumpsuit could be an ‘utter pain in the arse if you have to keep getting undressed just for a poo’ while others said the colours ‘couldn’t have been duller if they tried’ and were ‘giving 1980s bank clerk’.