Endorsements of left-wing ideology from the Federal Aviation Administration resurfaced online as the agency received backlash for a downed computer system that caused all flights across the country to be grounded early Wednesday.
FAA officials said later in the day that the outage occurred due to a “damaged database file” and claimed there was “no evidence of a cyber attack.”
Comprehensive efforts from top FAA officials to adopt tenets of the LGBTQ movement into the agency’s operations started to circulate on social media in the hours after flights were grounded, reviving criticism among those who argue that the Biden administration has advanced policies and made hires to advance diversity goals rather than optimize performance.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) contended on social media that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his associates have “focused on woke garbage” rather than promoting the stability of the aerospace system. Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk likewise accused the FAA of neglecting to “keep our planes in the air” as officials pursued “wokeness.”
The agency hosted an online “inclusive language summit” in November 2021 that lasted for more than two hours, while a similar event in March 2022 lasted for over an hour.
“Aerospace is for everyone, and the language we use matters,” the FAA said in a social media post. “We launched an agency-wide initiative to adopt gender-neutral and inclusive aviation terminology.”
Former FAA Administrator Steve Dickson remarked in a video posted in December 2021 that the agency would “promote the use” of gender-neutral language “throughout the aerospace field.” Among other moves, Dickson said that the “Notice to Airmen” system, which caused the outages on Wednesday, would be renamed to the “Notice to Air Missions” system.
Ginny Boyle, who works as the vice president of system operations services, participated in a June 2022 interview commemorating “pride month.” She discussed her experience raising children with her wife and lamented that the FAA does not track how many employees are members of the “LGBTQI+” community.
“I have been able to raise these concerns with leadership to find a way to capture part of the work force that chooses to identify. We do not know if we are moving the needle in any direction if we cannot measure it. I believe this is still a work in progress,” she said. “The more we learn about different cultures and struggles we can become more understanding and compassionate.”
Buttigieg has faced criticism from commentators who assert the Biden administration hired him because of his identification as a gay man rather than his expertise in infrastructure policy. The official previously took months of paid leave after he and his husband adopted twins even as the supply chain crisis hamstrung the American economy. He was also caught vacationing in Portugal as the specter of a nationwide rail strike loomed earlier this year and reportedly used taxpayer-funded private jets at least 18 times since assuming office, despite his support for policies that seek to address climate change on a national level.
Democratic lawmakers also criticized Buttigieg for his alleged failure to prevent mass delays and cancellations at Southwest Airlines. The company nixed roughly two-thirds of flights during the Christmas travel rush even after severe winter weather conditions that struck the nation had subsided and other carriers had ceased canceling an elevated number of flights.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) remarked that he joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) “nearly six months ago” in asking Buttigieg to implement fines and penalties on airlines that cancel their flights.
“Why were these recommendations not followed?” the lawmaker asked. “This mess with Southwest could have been avoided.”
Source: FAA’s ‘Woke Garbage’ Resurfaces After Computer Issues Ground Planes Nationwide | The Daily Wire