LGBTQ+ Pride Month Spotlight: Inflight Supervisor Mel Wright

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, which honors the arts, culture, contributions, and history of LGBTQ+ people in the United States. During this important observation, we are proudly spotlighting our team members who show how diverse backgrounds contribute to The PSA Way.

Today we introduce Inflight Supervisor Mel Wright. She shared her story of being a lifelong ally to the community, supporting a LGBTQ+ family member, and the importance of human rights and equality.

“My name is Mel Wright. I am an Inflight Supervisor in CLT. My favorite name and title, however, is Auntie. I have two amazing kiddos that call me that, and they mean the absolute world to me. I have always had a very strong bond with my sisters’ kids. They have a few aunts in their lives, but I am the only one privileged enough to be called “Auntie.” I have taken them on vacations, molded my schedules around theirs to spend more time with them, celebrated many milestones with them, and in general, made sure they feel loved and supported by me.

I have always been a staunch supporter of human rights and equality. I have attended protests, walk-outs, campaigns, and other group events to promote the causes I believe in. One of those that has always been important and has become even more personal to me is LGBTQIA+ equality. In 2021 my sister’s eldest kiddo told me they had something important to share with me. At that time, they had just turned 13, and they went on to tell me that they are non-binary. I was so honored that they wanted to share that with me and so incredibly proud that they would be living their truth.

Since then, they have come out to many family and friends. Some are supportive, and others are not. Through all of this, I have cheered them on, listened when things have been painful, helped them understand when people were difficult about it, watched as they blossomed into their true identity, and loved and supported them fiercely. Although I was an ally already, and I have many friends throughout my entire life who are part of this community, it is certainly another level of proud to have someone who I adore and love so deeply come into their own and to be by their side during this journey!”

Mel’s family member Ivy shared their perspective on how the love and support from allies and their family has helped them on their journey.

“Hi, my name is Ivy, and I am a non-binary teen. I remember being very scared to tell my parents, even though I knew they would be supportive. I told them at home on the couch, and, of course, they accepted me. The first time someone used my preferred pronouns was my dad the night I came out. He was talking to my dog Apollo and said something along the lines of “They’re ok, buddy. They’re just really happy!” Because I was crying on the couch. I was truly happy.

There was most certainly a period of adjustment in the house. There are a lot of gendered things that most people don’t notice. For example, when mom or dad addressed me and my sibling, they used to say “Girls,” but now they have changed that to “Kiddos.” I am very grateful for the people around me because every single one of them has been accepting. Granted, some need to try a little harder than others to get it down, but they all have the best intentions!”

PSA is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community by providing resources such as Included Health LGBTQ+ services for team members covered by one of our company health care plans or our EAP Program which offers free counseling and related online resources to explore.