'13 Reasons Why' star Tommy Dorfman confronts Delta staff after being misgendered

Tommy Dorfman has asserted that two Delta Air Lines employees deliberately misgendered her while at the airport.

The 31-year-old actress, known for her role as Ryan Shaver in the popular Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, publicly came out as a transgender woman in 2021 through an interview with Time magazine.

Dorfman utilized TikTok earlier this week to share a video, now deleted, in which she confronted gate agents at LaGuardia Airport, labeling the incident as a "human rights violation."

In the clip, which has been reuploaded on other social media platforms, one employee initially used the correct pronoun "she" for the Sharp Stick actress but then mistakenly switched to "he," prompting Dorfman to intervene. You can watch the now-deleted TikTok below: [Link to the video]

Trans activists are calling for a boycott of Delta Airlines after a transgender actor complained about being "misgendered" by two Delta employees at LaGuardia Airport.

Tommy Dorfman, who starred in 13 Reasons Why, uploaded a video of the interaction to his TikTok. pic.twitter.com/G4nVXIsowF

— REDUXX (@ReduxxMag) December 26, 2023

"You've misgendered me again," Dorfman addressed the unidentified worker. "Multiple times. Both of you have."

The employee responded calmly, stating, "It wasn't intentional, but if you want to take it personally, that's also OK." Dorfman persisted in expressing her concerns.

The staff member then criticized her for a "condescending" tone and issued a warning: "If you want to continue, I'll have Port Authority escort you out of the building right this moment if you want to play that game with me."

"Would you like to continue three days before Christmas? I really don't mind," they added, prompting Dorfman to sigh and lower the camera.

Initially, the Love in the Time of Corona actress included in the caption of her post, which she removed on Wednesday morning, that the male agent was named Tristan and that "he was fine with" the clip being shared online. She did not publicly disclose the name of the female employee who also allegedly misgendered her.

"When you try to advocate for yourself at @delta and are met with even more transphobia and threats of being arrested at LaGuardia," she wrote in the caption. "Didn't realize it was condescending to flag a human rights violation after another employee misgendered me incessantly."

The reason for the confrontation remains unclear.

The incident has sparked heated discussions on social media, with users rallying in support of both Dorfman and the Delta employee.

One commenter emphasized, "Don't assume. Just ask what someone prefers to be called. It is basic manners," while another expressed, "If it was a genuine mistake, the staff member would have apologized properly and insisted on making Tommy's travel experience more comfortable as a way of apologizing for her trouble. Instead, this staff member proceeded to make the situation worse by threatening to kick her out."

However, not everyone agreed, as one user argued, "It was days before Christmas! I'm sure the airport was a scene of total mayhem. The employee seemed to have a lot to manage, and I don't believe he was intentionally misgendering Dorfman."

Another person pointed out, "These people were working their asses off during one of the busiest travel times of the year. Their priority was getting people on planes so they could get to their loved ones on time. Try having some empathy."

In a statement provided to Newsweek, Delta mentioned that they are "aware of the video and looking into the matter, including reaching out to our customer to understand more about what occurred."

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