Eric Bach is an openly gay broadster for the Frericksburg Natnals. He has major league aspiratns, but his path has been much lonelier than he would prefer.
Contents:
- DO YOU EVER SEE GAY PILOTS?
- 'I DON'T FEEL PART OF THE MILARY ANYMORE': OPENLY GAY PILOT LEAV AFTER HARASSMENT
- OPENLY GAY PILOT LEAVG NAVY AFTER HARASSMENT
- INTRODUCTN OM A GAY PILOT
- A GAY PILOT REFLECTS ON WHAT TRAVEL MEANS TO QUEER FOLKS
- GAY PILOTS BRG LOVE OF AVIATN TO HELP KICK OFF PRI MONTH CEDAR RAPIDS
- NATNAL GAY PILOTS ASSOCIATN
- NATNAL GAY PILOTS ASSOCIATN TO HOST FIRST-OF-S-KD FLY- EVENT CEDAR RAPIDS
DO YOU EVER SEE GAY PILOTS?
Hangar Talk - Do you ever see gay pilots? - It seems there's no longer a hanger talk sub-fom, so I'll jt throw this thought here. This is somethg I've been wonrg for a while. We all know about the flight attendant world, but what about the flight ck? Do you ever see openly gay airle/profsnal * are there gay pilots *
The history of homosexualy and aviatn is not wily rearched or for that matter acknowledged, yet there is a rich history volvg this quiet group the field startg wh one of the first pneers. Formed twenty years ago, the NGPA’s missn is to enurage gays and lbians to enter to the field of aviatn through tn, outreach programm and social events.
Acrdg to NGPA Executive Director, Steven Moore, “Milton have been ma” the aviatn dtry; however, “we still have a long way to go before equaly is achieved.” Unfortunately this rgs te as gays and lbians still fight for social equaly. You don’t have to be gay to be part of the anisatn, but you need to be supportive of the lbian and gay muny.” The NGPA provis an avenue for formg allianc wh bs and airl wh the aviatn muny while matag a fortable environment for gays and lbians to reach out for support.
I'm sure there are some idts out there who don't like flyg wh women or wh homosexuals (simply bee those sort of people are out there the general populatn, though I do thk that they are somewhat overreprented the aviatn muny), but their numbers are gettg smaller all the time.
'I DON'T FEEL PART OF THE MILARY ANYMORE': OPENLY GAY PILOT LEAV AFTER HARASSMENT
One of Naval Aviatn's few openly gay pilots is leavg his ary reer behd after only six years, cg harassment as the reason. * are there gay pilots *
Okay, so someone thks that UACO earns a 100% this area; do that mean that a gay person will never face any problem while workg for them?
There are disgtg people on BOTH SIDES of the sexual orientatn equatn; there are straight pilots that I've been grossed out by, and gay flight attendants that I've been grossed out by.
OPENLY GAY PILOT LEAVG NAVY AFTER HARASSMENT
The cy of Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa Airport will host the Natnal Gay Pilots Associatn’s “Wgs Over Iowa” fly- event June, a first-of-s kd event that will brg members of the worldwi LGBTQ aviatn muny to town. * are there gay pilots *
Thgs are obvly very different most of Ai, all of the Middle East (except Israel) and large parts of South Ameri and SE Asia; backward plac where beg gay n even be a crimal offence.
INTRODUCTN OM A GAY PILOT
The crease the number of visible gay and trans people is sometim treated as a cursy or a e for ncern by crics, but ’s not a surprise. It’s normal. * are there gay pilots *
There are some homophobic pilots out there no doubt but I reckon they will probably have to keep a lid on as they are outnumbered pl there is ually que a nsirable amount of gay b crew. I've also e across one or two new pilots who have been, for want of a better word, sheepish when me to gay b crew but gradually they get to know them and they settle .
Homophobia is still out there but thankfully the world has e que a long way and for the vast majory I don't thk really matters. I've fely enuntered more than a few old bigots and jerks that still thk a woman or a gay man should only be found on the other si of the flight ck door. Not to throw the topic off a pletly different directn, but when I was A & P school there was a openly gay man a few class ahead of me who was gettg his license wh the full tentn of workg as a mechanic for an airle.
I remember beg hired about 25 years ago by an airle that stated publicly that "They would fly schled flights to hell, before a woman ever sat the ckp of one of our aircraft" to today, where even gay or lbian pilots really are a non-issue. Quotg GT4EZY (Reply 10):Homophobia is still out there but thankfully the world has e que a long way and for the vast majory I don't thk really matters. Quotg crjavnics (Reply 15): A & P school there was a openly gay man a few class ahead of me who was gettg his license wh the full tentn of workg as a mechanic for an airle.
A GAY PILOT REFLECTS ON WHAT TRAVEL MEANS TO QUEER FOLKS
This whole "Stats" thg annoys me bee wherever you go you'll still get homophobic people ( my experience) and, thank god, those odds are creasg... As a gay person planng to work as a pilot the future, I feel like I will have no problems as I don't "preach" my sexualy (I'm sorry, but that mak me crge, and I don't know of anyone that do that to be hont, so stop g the term). All pani nnot discrimate agast gay people, the same way they n't discrimate agast people om another race or relign ( the UK this is).
Likewise if someone was openly homophobic and directly targetg abe towards me I'm sure that they would have a "talkg to" by whoever is charge of them.
I don't like flyg wh them bee they're gay, I like flyg wh them bee they are good pilots and have a good personaly and learship style. Quotg planejamie (Reply 17):As a gay person planng to work as a pilot the future, I feel like I will have no problems as I don't "preach" my sexualy (I'm sorry, but that mak me crge, and I don't know of anyone that do that to be hont, so stop g the term). Have a iend who fli the left hand seat for NZ, who happens to be gay, and has mented passg that this natn's rrier is very much an equal opportuny employer - which I fd reassurg.
GAY PILOTS BRG LOVE OF AVIATN TO HELP KICK OFF PRI MONTH CEDAR RAPIDS
Slightly off topic, on domtic and trans-Tasman flights (which I take most often), 's often a female voice on the PA om the ckp (a few uld uld be gay at that, hadn't given any thought).
havg flown wh several gay crew members as pta and f/o over the past dozen years I feel s a non-event among profsnal pilots.
NATNAL GAY PILOTS ASSOCIATN
Quotg longhler (Reply 16):I remember beg hired about 25 years ago by an airle that stated publicly that "They would fly schled flights to hell, before a woman ever sat the ckp of one of our aircraft" to today, where even gay or lbian pilots really are a non-issue.
I'll say this much, and I don't mean the way will sound, but the gay male b crews provi better service than any straight team. I was on a recent flight where the outbound was 100% staffed by gay mal who were gettg drks, checkg on folks, handg stuff out nearly the entire flight. To the dtry folks who face macho bigots, give them this one: If you are a straight guy and aren't ol wh the fact other guys are gay, you're a moron.
I don't re if pilots are gay or straight, woman or man, mlim, tholic, or mormon, or HIV postive or negative, what blood type they are etc.
NATNAL GAY PILOTS ASSOCIATN TO HOST FIRST-OF-S-KD FLY- EVENT CEDAR RAPIDS
In time, they'll probably bee obsolete once s no longer such a big al anymore whether someone is gay, straight, bi, transgenr, black, orange, purple, etc. Quotg B777LRF (Reply 8):Thgs are obvly very different most of Ai, all of the Middle East (except Israel) and large parts of South Ameri and SE Asia; backward plac where beg gay n even be a crimal offence. The big ci Brasil and Argenta, particular, seem to be way more gay-iendly and progrsive than even the Stat or Europe, so I'd assume wouldn't be an issue the airle dtry?
I thk there is such a thg as ternalized homophobia, meang some closeted gay men take a homophobic stance as a fense mechanism, which is really jt a byproduct of their own stggle wh their own perceived 'shame' of beg gay and fearful of public cricism. One of my close gay iends admted that before he me out, he ed to be "one of those people" who ostracized gays public to hi his shame om people. I fd that gay men tend to be able to approach ladi very easily as well, so your F/Os should love you for helpg them to meet women!