Flying while Transgender
May 28, 2014, 6:19 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: California
Posts: 68
Flying while Transgender
Exclusive: Transgender travelers singled out in TSA screenings, docs show
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/5/26/groin-anomalies-andpatdownstravelingwhiletrans.html
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/5/26/groin-anomalies-andpatdownstravelingwhiletrans.html
May 28, 2014, 6:36 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,165
They must be proud...
T5 PM shift a transgender male passenger alarmed the AIT for a groin anomaly. The male passenger had breast implants but also a penis which lead to the E0 assuming is was a female with a groin anomaly. The passenger presented himself as female so the RFD was conducted by a female LTSO. During the RPD, drugs were discovered in the pocket.
The passenger was ultimately arrested.
The passenger was ultimately arrested.
May 28, 2014, 9:28 am
#4
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I welcome more government-issued ID listing X under the sex field on the IDs. When even LDC countries where the self-proclaimed Taliban runs amok can issue passports and other ID with non-F/non-M sex designators, it begs the question when all of the US will do the same.
Some of the harassment that people in the trans/intersex group face when traveling by air is due to ID sex listings.
Some of the harassment that people in the trans/intersex group face when traveling by air is due to ID sex listings.
Sep 21, 2015, 7:53 pm
#7
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: LGA
Programs: Double Unobtainium, Grace L. Ferguson Airline & Storm Door Co.
Posts: 154
Flying while Transgender
Shadi Petosky, a trans woman, attempted to fly MCO-MSP today. She tweeted out some disturbing reports of being harassed and detained by TSA at MCO, including being told that she couldn't take pictures and that she had to give up her phone.
I don't know her and I haven't heard anyone else's side on this, but here are some of her tweets from the evening. I redacted TSO names due to FT policies, and did not include tweets related to her dispute with American Airlines:
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TSA hasn't commented on Twitter, other than to say:
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I don't know her and I haven't heard anyone else's side on this, but here are some of her tweets from the evening. I redacted TSO names due to FT policies, and did not include tweets related to her dispute with American Airlines:
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I am being held by the TSA in Orlando because of an "anomaly" (my p---s)
The TSA at the Orlando Airport told me I couldn't take photos but this is denigrating. I have missed my flight
The TSA has left me in a room alone. There is an officer holding the door. 
SA agent B----- told me to get back in the machine as a man or it was going to be a problem.
TSA agents are now saying their are explosives alarm from my hands and the officers gloves when she gave me a full body pat down.
I asked TSA agent B----- if he had any training in trans issues. He said "I know what I am doing"
Cop asked me what sex I was. I told him I wasn't going to answer that question. I am complying but come on.
They're telling me they have to take my phone. I told them that I want to use this to keep a record of what is happening
A man a brown suit came and whispered to TSA agent S----- to make sure I am not taking photos or video.
There are now 2 police officers, 1 explosives specialist and four TSA agents. They're taking my phone for screening
I am through. It was about 40 minutes, 2 full body pat downs, fully disassembled luggage. I missed my flight.
A TSA agent is telling me to leave the airport. I asked them to please call a supervisor, I just want to get to an American Airlines gate
TSA told me to rebook at the gate but it is closed so they are making me leave until a
To get a new boarding pass through American Airlines. So I am back out of the secure area being escorting by a police officer.
They told me to get myself together, I am sobbing, not belligerent.
American Airlines manager is telling me that "in the future ask for a private screening"
I literally want to no lectures from American Airlines on how to travel while trans. I want the same privileges as cis people.
When the police officer asked me what sex I was I told him I wasn't to respond. He said this was not a game. Are trans civil rights?
TSA supervisor R---- luckily heard the officer and stepped in and said me disclosing sex/gender was not an issue.
Then he told me I looked like a woman to him. Which I am sure he meant as a compliment, but what if I didn't?
I paid for a ticket. The @tsa told me they'd escort me through, but these agents have no idea what I'm talking about
What @tsa and @AmericanAir is doing publically is completely different than what I am experience
Back in the TSA line. Here goes nothing
The TSA agent said "step back in please" and the manager ran over and was like "no no, you're good!"
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TSA takes all potential civil rights violations very seriously. We are looking into the situation now for further information.
Last edited by Vidiot; Sep 21, 2015 at 8:01 pm Reason: Changed thread title to avoid taking a side.
Sep 21, 2015, 8:00 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Mods, if there's a better/preferred way to embed tweets, I'm happy to edit this. Wasn't sure how to do it best.
My reactions to this story:
--I can understand a trans woman presenting the MMW scanners with the Gumby software as an "anomaly." She said she flies all the time and has never run into this problem before, however. I think that if her descriptions are accurate, TSA could still have handled this much better, by explaining the need for a patdown, not doing the apparently-retaliatory explosives-scan patdown, dismantling her luggage, sensitively offering her a private screening and the opportunity for a witness, et cetera.
--Why did the TSA detain her? TSA has no detention authority, and it sounded like it was not a law enforcement detention predicated on reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior, though LEOs were eventually present.
--Why was she told she couldn't take pictures or document her experience at the checkpoint? This is, once again, contrary to what TSA says on its site and in all its communications (save for the request not to take photos/video of scanner screens.)
--Why did TSA tell her she would have to leave the airport, once she'd made it into the sterile area, past the checkpoint?
My reactions to this story:
--I can understand a trans woman presenting the MMW scanners with the Gumby software as an "anomaly." She said she flies all the time and has never run into this problem before, however. I think that if her descriptions are accurate, TSA could still have handled this much better, by explaining the need for a patdown, not doing the apparently-retaliatory explosives-scan patdown, dismantling her luggage, sensitively offering her a private screening and the opportunity for a witness, et cetera.
--Why did the TSA detain her? TSA has no detention authority, and it sounded like it was not a law enforcement detention predicated on reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior, though LEOs were eventually present.
--Why was she told she couldn't take pictures or document her experience at the checkpoint? This is, once again, contrary to what TSA says on its site and in all its communications (save for the request not to take photos/video of scanner screens.)
--Why did TSA tell her she would have to leave the airport, once she'd made it into the sterile area, past the checkpoint?
Sep 22, 2015, 1:40 am
#9
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Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
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Mods, if there's a better/preferred way to embed tweets, I'm happy to edit this. Wasn't sure how to do it best.
My reactions to this story:
--I can understand a trans woman presenting the MMW scanners with the Gumby software as an "anomaly." She said she flies all the time and has never run into this problem before, however. I think that if her descriptions are accurate, TSA could still have handled this much better, by explaining the need for a patdown, not doing the apparently-retaliatory explosives-scan patdown, dismantling her luggage, sensitively offering her a private screening and the opportunity for a witness, et cetera.
--Why did the TSA detain her? TSA has no detention authority, and it sounded like it was not a law enforcement detention predicated on reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior, though LEOs were eventually present.
--Why was she told she couldn't take pictures or document her experience at the checkpoint? This is, once again, contrary to what TSA says on its site and in all its communications (save for the request not to take photos/video of scanner screens.)
--Why did TSA tell her she would have to leave the airport, once she'd made it into the sterile area, past the checkpoint?
My reactions to this story:
--I can understand a trans woman presenting the MMW scanners with the Gumby software as an "anomaly." She said she flies all the time and has never run into this problem before, however. I think that if her descriptions are accurate, TSA could still have handled this much better, by explaining the need for a patdown, not doing the apparently-retaliatory explosives-scan patdown, dismantling her luggage, sensitively offering her a private screening and the opportunity for a witness, et cetera.
--Why did the TSA detain her? TSA has no detention authority, and it sounded like it was not a law enforcement detention predicated on reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior, though LEOs were eventually present.
--Why was she told she couldn't take pictures or document her experience at the checkpoint? This is, once again, contrary to what TSA says on its site and in all its communications (save for the request not to take photos/video of scanner screens.)
--Why did TSA tell her she would have to leave the airport, once she'd made it into the sterile area, past the checkpoint?
It's interesting that the TSA software tripped on the victim's groin area when the clerk assumed the victim was a biological female and plumbing showed up. Apparently, a female clerk groped the offending area and everything else. I don't know why unless it was pure harassment. Since the victim was already being detained in what looks like the former Voyeur Booth and didn't witness any of the glove swabbing of the female clerk, there's a high degree of probability that the lead clerk falsified the positive alarm just to pile on more harassment.
It also sounds like one of the clerks wanted to force the victim to declare that the victim was a male, which would have given the male clerk justification to set the <deleted by moderator> to "male." In the clerk's feeble mind, the <deleted by moderator> would have been set to "male" and the victim would have gotten through because the plumbing would have been ignored.
I hope the victim gets a good lawyer and comes forth with a more coherent story than what you can tell in 140 characters or less. As the rights of the LGBT ("T" in this case) become more and more established, the TSA needs to change how they do the <deleted by moderator>. I can't imagine that the TSA would bother to do anything about accommodating transgendered people because it's cheaper to just pay out a couple of lawsuits every year.
Last edited by TWA884; Jul 19, 2016 at 9:19 am Reason: Terms not used in this forum
Sep 22, 2015, 2:19 am
#10
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Mods, if there's a better/preferred way to embed tweets, I'm happy to edit this. Wasn't sure how to do it best.
My reactions to this story:
--I can understand a trans woman presenting the MMW scanners with the Gumby software as an "anomaly." She said she flies all the time and has never run into this problem before, however. I think that if her descriptions are accurate, TSA could still have handled this much better, by explaining the need for a patdown, not doing the apparently-retaliatory explosives-scan patdown, dismantling her luggage, sensitively offering her a private screening and the opportunity for a witness, et cetera.
--Why did the TSA detain her? TSA has no detention authority, and it sounded like it was not a law enforcement detention predicated on reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior, though LEOs were eventually present.
--Why was she told she couldn't take pictures or document her experience at the checkpoint? This is, once again, contrary to what TSA says on its site and in all its communications (save for the request not to take photos/video of scanner screens.)
--Why did TSA tell her she would have to leave the airport, once she'd made it into the sterile area, past the checkpoint?
My reactions to this story:
--I can understand a trans woman presenting the MMW scanners with the Gumby software as an "anomaly." She said she flies all the time and has never run into this problem before, however. I think that if her descriptions are accurate, TSA could still have handled this much better, by explaining the need for a patdown, not doing the apparently-retaliatory explosives-scan patdown, dismantling her luggage, sensitively offering her a private screening and the opportunity for a witness, et cetera.
--Why did the TSA detain her? TSA has no detention authority, and it sounded like it was not a law enforcement detention predicated on reasonable suspicion of criminal behavior, though LEOs were eventually present.
--Why was she told she couldn't take pictures or document her experience at the checkpoint? This is, once again, contrary to what TSA says on its site and in all its communications (save for the request not to take photos/video of scanner screens.)
--Why did TSA tell her she would have to leave the airport, once she'd made it into the sterile area, past the checkpoint?
Sep 22, 2015, 2:55 am
#12
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Slightly to the left of center
Posts: 3,475
Tempting to place fault at TSA, but there are still some unanswered questions. But generally, TSA doesn't stand out as an organization particularly sensitive to differences in culture and gender. Add a splash of resistance by the OP, and the outcome won't be pretty.
Sep 22, 2015, 3:38 am
#13
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"resistance" being the word the TSA uses to refer to passenger genitalia.
Sep 22, 2015, 7:36 am
#15
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http://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions
If the TSA screeners based the screening on appearance seems these screeners may have been in violation of TSA policy.
Transgender persons should use the name and gender that appears on their government-issued ID when making flight reservations and at the security checkpoint. You may ask that carry-on bags be screened in private if a bag must be opened by a TSA officer to resolve an alarm. Screening can be conducted in a private screening area with a witness or companion. You may request private screening or to speak with a supervisor at any time during the screening process.
