EK & EY Gay Male Crew...
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EK & EY Gay Male Crew...
Hi Guys,
Am currently BA cabin crew and probably like many of you am pretty worried by the plans the company have for us.
Longterm I am looking at my options... QR really isn't an option as i've flown with them and decided there is no way I could either be based in Doha or fly for them.... but EK and EY hold a strange appeal to me.
Appologies if this has been discussed in detail.... did a quick search but couldn't really find an answer....
I'm openly gay..... I don't walk around like a screaming queen but I am comfortable with my sexuality, how would I stand at EK and EY. I appreciate they are based in Muslim countries and I appreicate the stance they take on it.... BUT how do the airlines themselves look at it?
Is it even worth me applying (hopefully things can't get as bad as i'm expecting at BA... but do need to look longterm.)
Many thanks for any help.
Am currently BA cabin crew and probably like many of you am pretty worried by the plans the company have for us.
Longterm I am looking at my options... QR really isn't an option as i've flown with them and decided there is no way I could either be based in Doha or fly for them.... but EK and EY hold a strange appeal to me.
Appologies if this has been discussed in detail.... did a quick search but couldn't really find an answer....
I'm openly gay..... I don't walk around like a screaming queen but I am comfortable with my sexuality, how would I stand at EK and EY. I appreciate they are based in Muslim countries and I appreicate the stance they take on it.... BUT how do the airlines themselves look at it?
Is it even worth me applying (hopefully things can't get as bad as i'm expecting at BA... but do need to look longterm.)
Many thanks for any help.
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Personally I wouldn`t go rushing off to the middle east just yet. Those jobs over there will be around year after year.
There are many options before taking that huge leap. As for being gay...erm, I wouldn`t thrust my hips or chew toffee down them ailes
anyway. But I`m sure they employ the gay, the unsure and I`m not gay but I likes the men
Remember Paul Pprune is a rummours forum and "faceless members" post here. They can be anyone and say they are anyone... and times like this are difficult.
The constant drip drip and at times the tap turned on full with the "bad news BA press!" I stop reading it weeks ago coz it was the same news dressed up with other companies. Now you wanna bet next weeks bad news to be run though the ESS BA news cabin crew news?
My bets on UK car industry. Whats yours?
There are many options before taking that huge leap. As for being gay...erm, I wouldn`t thrust my hips or chew toffee down them ailes
anyway. But I`m sure they employ the gay, the unsure and I`m not gay but I likes the menRemember Paul Pprune is a rummours forum and "faceless members" post here. They can be anyone and say they are anyone... and times like this are difficult.
The constant drip drip and at times the tap turned on full with the "bad news BA press!" I stop reading it weeks ago coz it was the same news dressed up with other companies. Now you wanna bet next weeks bad news to be run though the ESS BA news cabin crew news?
My bets on UK car industry. Whats yours?
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Hi Paul,
Im former QR crew and now with BA. Been here for over 5 years and loving it. Im also gay. To be honest, your sexuality wont be an issue anywhere in the Middle East (well outside Saudi anyways) as long as you keep it to yourself and remain discreet. But to be honest, you do not want to go to any of the middle east carriers.
BA is like semi retirement and even if any of the 32 proposals are accepted BA will still remain the best to work for. I personally would be surprised if even 10 of the proposals were accepted but if you go to EK or EY then you will have given up EVERYTHING. They dont have "Terms and conditions" as we know it....in the Middle East Terms = Do as we say and Conditions = worst possible sort unless we say otherwise!
Working for those airlines is very VERY hard work and very very strict. You are not treated very well and your downroute time can be very lonely. Promotion systems are not generally fair and with most Gulf currencies tied with the US dollar the pay is not as great as it may seem. Also life in the middle east loses its appeal and novelty very quickly.
If you leave BA you will regret it in the long term. My advice is to stick with it, dont listen to the doom and gloom from crew onboard who know nothing but life in BA and make the most of it! We will more than likely end up working a little harder then perhaps what we are used to but if thats as bad as it gets then we are still laughing!
Chin up and ignore the doom sayers!
Im former QR crew and now with BA. Been here for over 5 years and loving it. Im also gay. To be honest, your sexuality wont be an issue anywhere in the Middle East (well outside Saudi anyways) as long as you keep it to yourself and remain discreet. But to be honest, you do not want to go to any of the middle east carriers.
BA is like semi retirement and even if any of the 32 proposals are accepted BA will still remain the best to work for. I personally would be surprised if even 10 of the proposals were accepted but if you go to EK or EY then you will have given up EVERYTHING. They dont have "Terms and conditions" as we know it....in the Middle East Terms = Do as we say and Conditions = worst possible sort unless we say otherwise!
Working for those airlines is very VERY hard work and very very strict. You are not treated very well and your downroute time can be very lonely. Promotion systems are not generally fair and with most Gulf currencies tied with the US dollar the pay is not as great as it may seem. Also life in the middle east loses its appeal and novelty very quickly.
If you leave BA you will regret it in the long term. My advice is to stick with it, dont listen to the doom and gloom from crew onboard who know nothing but life in BA and make the most of it! We will more than likely end up working a little harder then perhaps what we are used to but if thats as bad as it gets then we are still laughing!
Chin up and ignore the doom sayers!
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Uipmen....
I was like you once! Then I discovered there was a life outside of my job!
I agree however that Qatar was particularly harsh. However having numerous friends in both EK and EY i can assure you that the lifestyle is nothing like that of crew with BA who have an enviable work/life balance. Not to mention the fact that once we leave the airport at the end of the day we put the job behind us until our next report. This is not a luxury afforded to you in the Middle East when you come home to yet more crew in an apartment complex full of crew talking about crew reporting crew to crew of crew by crew....yayayaya you get the idea!
I was like you once! Then I discovered there was a life outside of my job!
I agree however that Qatar was particularly harsh. However having numerous friends in both EK and EY i can assure you that the lifestyle is nothing like that of crew with BA who have an enviable work/life balance. Not to mention the fact that once we leave the airport at the end of the day we put the job behind us until our next report. This is not a luxury afforded to you in the Middle East when you come home to yet more crew in an apartment complex full of crew talking about crew reporting crew to crew of crew by crew....yayayaya you get the idea!
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Hey Paul, sorry to hear morale is a bit low in BA at the moment, but hopefully things will get better soon. If you do want to leave however, rather than the middle-east and the rather large cultural (societal and work) changes required, perhaps you might consider Qantas UK. A couple of colleagues of mine went there recently and seem to like it... (Although you have to change your name to Bruce).
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At least there is a morale with BA!
Go to QR and you will definitely learn to appreciate it in the future. Anyone resigning from a permanent employment with BA to go the Middle East must be either insane or very naive.
Go to QR and you will definitely learn to appreciate it in the future. Anyone resigning from a permanent employment with BA to go the Middle East must be either insane or very naive.
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Working for those airlines is very VERY hard work and very very strict.
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The thread has gone on off on a tangent somewhat with people advising you as to whther it is good to leave BA etc - whatever, good advice though and chose your options carefully, expecially in the current economical climate.
However, back to your original question, you will not have a problem in EK/EY as long as you don't come across as overly 'camp' at the interview or during work. That would be my only advice. You are comfortable and secure and that is the main thing. But I agree - if you did come across as someone "who screams like a queen" then that would not be accepted. EK/EY do fly to a variety of states in the middle east and SE Asia, each with varying levels of strictness.
However, back to your original question, you will not have a problem in EK/EY as long as you don't come across as overly 'camp' at the interview or during work. That would be my only advice. You are comfortable and secure and that is the main thing. But I agree - if you did come across as someone "who screams like a queen" then that would not be accepted. EK/EY do fly to a variety of states in the middle east and SE Asia, each with varying levels of strictness.
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being gay in ek is okay
was a flight attendant with EK till recently.Everything in the middle east is done with a veil-everything happens there-its just under the radar and discreet. there are plenty of gay flight attendants and some more obvious than others.unless you insist on wearing a female flight attendants uniform or nail varnish and red lipstick or the likes nobody will really pick on you for your sexual preferences. but you must realise that homosexuality is against the law in U.A.E. and if you are caught and you can be proscecuted and your company EK and EY will happily wash their hands of you.
Also there seems to be a bit of the recession back lash hitting the middle east with passenger loads down,recruitment being put on hold and crew being offered indefinite unpaid leave,rumour mills say about 300 crew are taking this option.So maybe you should hold onto your permanent position in BA- a lot of our English crew would be quite happy to trade places with you .
And Emirates is not the same great place to work as it used to be 5 years ago -lots of work n not too much of quality timeoff.....
Some food for thought-but being gay in EK is definitely ok!
Also there seems to be a bit of the recession back lash hitting the middle east with passenger loads down,recruitment being put on hold and crew being offered indefinite unpaid leave,rumour mills say about 300 crew are taking this option.So maybe you should hold onto your permanent position in BA- a lot of our English crew would be quite happy to trade places with you .
And Emirates is not the same great place to work as it used to be 5 years ago -lots of work n not too much of quality timeoff.....
Some food for thought-but being gay in EK is definitely ok!
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"Some food for thought-but being gay in EK is definitely ok"
As long as you're happy to be clandestine in your whole way of life, which for hetros is not something you ever need to consider, nor appreciate the magnitude of such denial to oneself. As for homosexuality being illegal in the country you reside, not sure I would say all is rosey working for such an airline, or supporting such country's archaic laws.
BTW 'sexual preference' is the wrong terminology entirely and completely innacurate, as only gay people really know, you don't have a choice in the matter, is all down to genetics mi thinks.
Just needed to vent a little on that one.
As long as you're happy to be clandestine in your whole way of life, which for hetros is not something you ever need to consider, nor appreciate the magnitude of such denial to oneself. As for homosexuality being illegal in the country you reside, not sure I would say all is rosey working for such an airline, or supporting such country's archaic laws.
BTW 'sexual preference' is the wrong terminology entirely and completely innacurate, as only gay people really know, you don't have a choice in the matter, is all down to genetics mi thinks.
Just needed to vent a little on that one.
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I appreciate they are based in Muslim countries and I appreicate the stance they take on it.
(im not trying to start a gay rights debate, but just wonder why you would consider how you would be accepted into different country when it doesnt bother you over here.)
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G-SP0T,
as far as i know, UK is a largely anglican (protestant) country, not catholic, as long as we are talking about Newcastle in UK.
anyway, Catholic church accepts gay relationships (stable, long-term relationships - heard recently from a priest, very surprising!), but what they don't accept is gay marriage (big difference).
in Muslim countries: religion, politics, law and everyday life is deeply rooted into each other, as long as in "Western" countries state institutions and politics are separated and distincted from the churches (that's secularity, even if the majority of law and everyday morals are enrooted in religous sources), since at least the French Revolution, let's say.
that means, if you are in a Muslim state, you have to accept religious thoughts - as they are the "terms & conditions", and part of the state and laws, as well (even if you are not religious or atheist or any kind). why? just to be able to live there.
for example, gayety: it is strictly restricted and forbidden by state laws in Muslim countries (other thing that 80%, or more of male population has experiences with the same gender - not official survey made of my own experiences by just walking down the streets of several Muslim states having constant offers from men /mainly indirect and very veiled, but perceivable/, and asking some friends living there ).
but if you are in a secular state, you can avoid religious sights (as long as you are not religious, of course), that means, if homosexual practice is forbidden by religion, you can still practice it, if you want, because secular - state - law permits it.
another story is that a civilized one has to respect religious thoughts - off-topic, what and why to expect from religious institutions in Western countries and Muslim countries and any kind of countries.
that's the difference in acceptation of religious thoughts in different countries.
i hope i wasn't too confusing.
z
as far as i know, UK is a largely anglican (protestant) country, not catholic, as long as we are talking about Newcastle in UK.
anyway, Catholic church accepts gay relationships (stable, long-term relationships - heard recently from a priest, very surprising!), but what they don't accept is gay marriage (big difference).
in Muslim countries: religion, politics, law and everyday life is deeply rooted into each other, as long as in "Western" countries state institutions and politics are separated and distincted from the churches (that's secularity, even if the majority of law and everyday morals are enrooted in religous sources), since at least the French Revolution, let's say.
that means, if you are in a Muslim state, you have to accept religious thoughts - as they are the "terms & conditions", and part of the state and laws, as well (even if you are not religious or atheist or any kind). why? just to be able to live there.
for example, gayety: it is strictly restricted and forbidden by state laws in Muslim countries (other thing that 80%, or more of male population has experiences with the same gender - not official survey made of my own experiences by just walking down the streets of several Muslim states having constant offers from men /mainly indirect and very veiled, but perceivable/, and asking some friends living there
).but if you are in a secular state, you can avoid religious sights (as long as you are not religious, of course), that means, if homosexual practice is forbidden by religion, you can still practice it, if you want, because secular - state - law permits it.
another story is that a civilized one has to respect religious thoughts - off-topic, what and why to expect from religious institutions in Western countries and Muslim countries and any kind of countries.
that's the difference in acceptation of religious thoughts in different countries.
i hope i wasn't too confusing.
z
Last edited by zerozol; 17th May 2009 at 14:20.
