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Yating Yang

A Chinese transgender airline passenger has faced criticism online after sharing a video in which she claimed unfair treatment by a flight attendant who failed to use her proper pronouns.
The 17-year-old, surnamed Li, is a frequent flier who claims to have attained “gold card” status in just two months.
After boarding a recent flight with Juneyao Airlines in Shanghai, she became angry when she noticed that the business-class flight attendants were addressing all the passengers by their surnames and using appropriate pronouns, except for her.
As a result she asked to speak with the chief flight attendant.
“I have taken flights with so many airlines and everyone addressed me as ‘Ms’ or ‘Miss Li’,” she said.
“Flight attendants in the service industry should be observant. Don’t you think so?” she added.

In the video, the chief flight attendant repeatedly apologises, saying that she was “afraid of offending” the transgender woman.
The passenger also offered forgiveness but went on to post the video on her social media account which has amassed more than 130,000 followers.
In the video the transgender passenger said: “If they don’t take care of our situation properly, then it is the fault of their airline. I just wanted to temporarily alleviate my anger.”
However, sharp-eyed online observers discovered that the same trans woman had been detained by police earlier this year after she shared how she entered a luxury public women’s bathhouse using a fake identification card.
As a result, the trans woman – who has not undergone gender reassignment surgery – faced a wave of criticism for infringing the privacy rights of other women.

Controversy surrounding the incidents led to the suspension of her social media account by Weibo for engaging in “malicious marketing practices”.
Since the suspension, online criticism of her has gone on unabated.
One person said: “She claimed to be generous and to have forgiven the flight attendant, but she continued to expose them online. The service industry is really tough.”
Another added: “The flight attendant definitely didn’t know how to address her and that’s why they didn’t use a title. You can simply ask them to call you ‘Miss’ or ‘Mr’. This blogger is overly sensitive.”
“This is just attention seeking. As long as she can be popular, whether it’s good or bad, it doesn’t matter to her,” said a third online observer.
The LGBTQ community, which numbers more than 70 million in China, has faced a number of challenges.
In 2020, the sexual diversity event “Shanghai PRIDE” was suddenly cancelled amid suspicion that it was a result of pressure from the central authorities.
In 2021, the WeChat accounts of LGBTQ student groups from various prestigious Chinese universities were either completely banned or suspended overnight.


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‘Attention-seeking’ Chinese trans woman who accused flight attendant of improper pronoun use gets online criticism, social media ban

Mainland social media observers have heaped criticism on a Chinese trans-woman who complained that a flight attendant had treated her unfairly by not using her proper pronouns. Photo: SCMP composite

A Chinese trans-woman who complained that a flight attendant had treated her unfairly by not using her proper pronouns has faced criticism on mainland social media. Photo: SCMP composite

The trans woman was angered by her treatment on a Juneyao Airlines plane in Shanghai. Photo: Juneyao Airlines

The aggrieved passenger was travelling business class on the airliner. Photo: Juneyao Airlines

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News

People & Culture

Gender & Diversity

Despite flight attendant offering sincere apologies, trans woman proceeds to make social media posts criticising airline and its staff
Online sleuths then uncover previous incident in which same non-gender reassigned woman used fake identity to enter a woman’s bathhouse


Mainland social media observers have criticised a Chinese trans woman after she shared a video in which she claimed unfair treatment by a flight attendant who failed to use her proper pronouns.


‘Attention-seeking’ Chinese trans woman who accused flight attendant of improper pronoun use gets online criticism, social media ban

Despite flight attendant offering sincere apologies, trans woman proceeds to make social media posts criticising airline and its staff Online sleuths then uncover previous incident in which same non-gender reassigned woman used fake identity to enter a woman’s bathhouse

Despite flight attendant offering sincere apologies, trans woman proceeds to make social media posts criticising airline and its staff

Online sleuths then uncover previous incident in which same non-gender reassigned woman used fake identity to enter a woman’s bathhouse