I'm curious what would happen if for example a UK airline refused to employ a male cabin crew member, who was gay.
If they stated the reason for the non employment was the fact he was unable to be scheduled across their entire route network. The airline has a duty of care to it's employees and they cannot absolve a crew member from complying with the laws of another country.
IMHO that's a moot point. For starters,
AFAIK those countries consider
actively engaging in homosexual conduct illegal and punishable by law. Sexual orientation per se is not punishable as, without explicit actions, it definitely cannot be proven. Company personnel will just have to refrain, during stopovers, from engaging in any conduct that is considered illegal by local laws, just like everybody else has to fully abide by local laws while traveling to a foreign country.
Incidentally, several of those countries consider any form of extra-marital sex illegal and severely punishable as well. Should people who are (hetero)sexually active and who do not consider extra-marital sex immoral and are therefore known to engage in extra-marital affairs or perhaps even *gasp*
adultery be refused employment too on the same grounds? Even if adultery in the UK is not a criminal but at most a civil litigation matter? If that were the case airlines would probably find themselves unable to employ anyone, unless they only fly domestic.
Ciao,
Dg800