Flying while Transgender
Sep 22, 2015, 9:54 am
#16
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: LGA
Programs: Double Unobtainium, Grace L. Ferguson Airline & Storm Door Co.
Posts: 154
According to this story in The Advocate, the TSA has released a statement:
I don't see how guidelines were met if the TSA detained her illegally, conducted a retaliatory patdown, tried to take her phone away, told her she could not take photos or video, and told her she'd have to leave the airport.
Also, it's interesting that this statement does not appear in the press section of the TSA website. I guess the website is just out of date.
“Our officers are trained to properly screen members of the transgender community. TSA takes all potential civil rights violations very seriously and conducted a review of the incident. After examining closed circuit TV video and other available information, TSA has determined that the evidence shows our officers followed TSA’s strict guidelines. Supervisory personnel and a Passenger Support Specialist participated in the screening to ensure guidelines were met.”
Also, it's interesting that this statement does not appear in the press section of the TSA website. I guess the website is just out of date.
Sep 22, 2015, 10:39 am
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,111
According to this story in The Advocate, the TSA has released a statement:
I don't see how guidelines were met if the TSA detained her illegally, conducted a retaliatory patdown, tried to take her phone away, told her she could not take photos or video, and told her she'd have to leave the airport.
Also, it's interesting that this statement does not appear in the press section of the TSA website. I guess the website is just out of date.
I don't see how guidelines were met if the TSA detained her illegally, conducted a retaliatory patdown, tried to take her phone away, told her she could not take photos or video, and told her she'd have to leave the airport.
Also, it's interesting that this statement does not appear in the press section of the TSA website. I guess the website is just out of date.
Sep 22, 2015, 10:52 am
#18
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: YTZ
Posts: 502
I was following this on Twitter yesterday and this morning. I felt so bad for her and I hope some good comes from this.
Beside that, I'm curious as to why the OP felt the need to censor the word penis? Do you normally censor yourself when talking about anatomy?
Beside that, I'm curious as to why the OP felt the need to censor the word penis? Do you normally censor yourself when talking about anatomy?
Sep 22, 2015, 11:32 am
#19
Moderator: Information Desk, Women Travelers, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 15,651
FT blocks the posting of many words, and the OP may have assumed that penis would automatically be blocked or censored.
Sep 22, 2015, 12:29 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Finally back in Boston after escaping from New York
Posts: 13,644
“Our officers are trained to properly screen members of the transgender community. TSA takes all potential civil rights violations very seriously and conducted a review of the incident. After examining closed circuit TV video and other available information, TSA has determined that the evidence shows our officers followed TSA’s strict guidelines. Supervisory personnel and a Passenger Support Specialist participated in the screening to ensure guidelines were met.”
Mike
Sep 22, 2015, 1:05 pm
#21
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: YYZ (ex-LHR)
Programs: BA Silver, VS Red, OZ Silver
Posts: 446
Well, this was fun to read.
I'm actually in the same position as her anatomically. I transitioned when I was a teenager and I'm now in my late twenties. Being trans doesn't really affect my life in any way until I have the joy of airport security.
I was extremely fortunate to encounter WMTDs every time I flew, until last week at MCI when I was in my first body scanner line. I considered opting out but I figured I'd see if I'd get an anomaly first as I was on my own so it was no big deal if it happened. As soon as I walked through the two male TSA agents ran away (yeah, really) leaving the lone female agent to awkwardly ask me about my gender and explaining that I had an anomaly in the private area. She then proceeded to pat down the other parts of my body that had flagged but went nowhere near my private parts. And then I was on my way, almost feeling guilty for not opting out and putting her through the awkwardness.
But reading this, it seems transgender training hasn't reached all of the TSA, or more likely, they're plain ignoring it, because they can. I look forward to the day this inevitably happens to me. Hopefully I'll be travelling alone or with people who are already privvy to my medical history.
I'm actually in the same position as her anatomically. I transitioned when I was a teenager and I'm now in my late twenties. Being trans doesn't really affect my life in any way until I have the joy of airport security.
I was extremely fortunate to encounter WMTDs every time I flew, until last week at MCI when I was in my first body scanner line. I considered opting out but I figured I'd see if I'd get an anomaly first as I was on my own so it was no big deal if it happened. As soon as I walked through the two male TSA agents ran away (yeah, really) leaving the lone female agent to awkwardly ask me about my gender and explaining that I had an anomaly in the private area. She then proceeded to pat down the other parts of my body that had flagged but went nowhere near my private parts. And then I was on my way, almost feeling guilty for not opting out and putting her through the awkwardness.
But reading this, it seems transgender training hasn't reached all of the TSA, or more likely, they're plain ignoring it, because they can. I look forward to the day this inevitably happens to me. Hopefully I'll be travelling alone or with people who are already privvy to my medical history.
Sep 22, 2015, 2:50 pm
#22
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: LGA
Programs: Double Unobtainium, Grace L. Ferguson Airline & Storm Door Co.
Posts: 154
Sep 22, 2015, 3:42 pm
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,165
Quote:
“Our officers are trained to properly screen members of the transgender community. TSA takes all potential civil rights violations very seriously and conducted a review of the incident. After examining closed circuit TV video and other available information, TSA has determined that the evidence shows our officers followed TSA’s strict guidelines. Supervisory personnel and a Passenger Support Specialist participated in the screening to ensure guidelines were met.”
And, in other news, water is wet and the sun comes up in the east.
Mike
“Our officers are trained to properly screen members of the transgender community. TSA takes all potential civil rights violations very seriously and conducted a review of the incident. After examining closed circuit TV video and other available information, TSA has determined that the evidence shows our officers followed TSA’s strict guidelines. Supervisory personnel and a Passenger Support Specialist participated in the screening to ensure guidelines were met.”
And, in other news, water is wet and the sun comes up in the east.
Mike
After this blow-off, I hope there's a civil rights lawyer out there who will take a case pro bono.
Sep 22, 2015, 5:02 pm
#24
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: California. USA
Posts: 1,404
I am like this if you "touch" those parts you have to be able to hear them and spell them."
Sep 22, 2015, 5:06 pm
#25
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: California. USA
Posts: 1,404
Well, this was fun to read.
I'm actually in the same position as her anatomically. I transitioned when I was a teenager and I'm now in my late twenties. Being trans doesn't really affect my life in any way until I have the joy of airport security.
I was extremely fortunate to encounter WMTDs every time I flew, until last week at MCI when I was in my first body scanner line. I considered opting out but I figured I'd see if I'd get an anomaly first as I was on my own so it was no big deal if it happened. As soon as I walked through the two male TSA agents ran away (yeah, really) leaving the lone female agent to awkwardly ask me about my gender and explaining that I had an anomaly in the private area. She then proceeded to pat down the other parts of my body that had flagged but went nowhere near my private parts. And then I was on my way, almost feeling guilty for not opting out and putting her through the awkwardness.
But reading this, it seems transgender training hasn't reached all of the TSA, or more likely, they're plain ignoring it, because they can. I look forward to the day this inevitably happens to me. Hopefully I'll be travelling alone or with people who are already privvy to my medical history.
I'm actually in the same position as her anatomically. I transitioned when I was a teenager and I'm now in my late twenties. Being trans doesn't really affect my life in any way until I have the joy of airport security.
I was extremely fortunate to encounter WMTDs every time I flew, until last week at MCI when I was in my first body scanner line. I considered opting out but I figured I'd see if I'd get an anomaly first as I was on my own so it was no big deal if it happened. As soon as I walked through the two male TSA agents ran away (yeah, really) leaving the lone female agent to awkwardly ask me about my gender and explaining that I had an anomaly in the private area. She then proceeded to pat down the other parts of my body that had flagged but went nowhere near my private parts. And then I was on my way, almost feeling guilty for not opting out and putting her through the awkwardness.
But reading this, it seems transgender training hasn't reached all of the TSA, or more likely, they're plain ignoring it, because they can. I look forward to the day this inevitably happens to me. Hopefully I'll be travelling alone or with people who are already privvy to my medical history.
Sep 22, 2015, 5:08 pm
#26
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: California. USA
Posts: 1,404
Sep 22, 2015, 11:23 pm
#29
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: QFF
Posts: 5,304
Sep 23, 2015, 4:15 am
#30
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
Their use has been expanding in the world, largely due to USG/DHS advocacy for/on behalf of this kind of technology. AMS and CPH have way too many of these machines, and use this unnecessary dichotomy of male vs female as if the spectrum of human sexuality consists of just two separate points.