goalie

So if a male pax must be screened by a male TSO and a female pax must be screened by a female TSO.....

Can a male pax ask the sexual orientation of a male TSO and vv for a female TSO?

What if the male TSO is gay and the male pax has an objection to that?

Not being a homophobe as I am far from it but think about it. In this situation, it might be the TSO getting wood and not the pax.

GUWonder

Asking the TSA screener the question may be useless as the TSA employee could do as TSA spokesholes do: lie, obfuscate and/or make statements based on incomplete or incorrect information/conclusions.

What if the TSA says they are heterosexual but they are really homosexual?

What if the TSA says they are heterosexual but they are really transitioning to bisexuality or homosexuality as they get more and more intimate with people of the same sex?

What if the TSA says they are homosexual, will they then get an out from getting intimately "frisky" with the passengers?

As with jail/prison guards/authorities who get "frisky" with the inmates, so with the TSA.

Ari

You can ask anything you want.

You can always ask for a supervisor; I imagine some would be flexible and do it himself or find someone else to do it. I imagine others will just cop the standard D Y W T F T line.

People thought about it long before the patdown procedures were changed 11 days ago (you can google some Christian-type anti-gay nut who voiced his opinion on the topic). It doesn't seem to have come up in any practical sense, though. Perhaps the new procedures will be cause for alarm in some-- I don't know.

I think the TSA should change their procedures and have patdowns be gender neutral. The new procedure should be that both male and female TSOs can pat down both male and female pax-- there will no longer be any "MALE ASSIST" or "FEMALE ASSIST" and it will speed things up. Before the patdown begins, the passenger should be informed that he or she can request that a different TSO or a different gender of TSO than the one assigned do the pat down (but that the pax cannot choose the specific TSO who does it). Those who are comfortable with either gender (which would be the majority of men, I believe, and possibly women in the USA, also) will help everyone get processed more quickly while those who care are given an option. It would be just like the option for private screening-- some request it but most don't. Since either gender pax can ask for a TSO of the other gender than the one assigned, it would be totally gender neutral. The only unintended consequence would be that there would be more female TSOs doing pat downs though the TSO should be able to opt out of one (either) gender of patdown duty if he or she so choses. Most wont care, I believe.

zitsky

Can you please tell me where this gay screener is located? I'd like to make sure all my future travel goes through that airport.

If you want to talk about straight passengers not wanting a gay screener, then you are going down a slippery slope. Gay TSO employees are just as professional as their straight employees. They are no more likely to harass a passenger than a straight employee would.

belynch

Agreed. There should be nothing sexual about a patdown, so why the TSA chooses to force same-gender is befuddling to me. Its almost like they are admitting, through this action, there is an element of sexual misconduct taking place and by using same gender TSOs they are somehow, in some delusional world, mitigating the sexual harassment risk.

Global_Hi_Flyer

Don't ask, don't tell.

goalie

I'm thinking more along the lines of the homophobic nut job referenced above vs your everyday straight pax

tanja

I dont like any pat-downs at all. Less the new enhanced pat-downs.

But I would NEVER accept a male TSO touching me at all.
I would scream "assult" as loud as I can.

So not every woman i USA would accept that. In fact I would think vary few would acept that.
Another thing is if most women would speak up.
Sad to say I dont think they would.
I would not care if a female TSO is gay or not. I still object to pat downs.

tkey75

Why? Just because at the other end of the hand patting you down is a guy instead of a woman? What's the difference?

Ari

That's exactly what I said.

I doubt that.

The guy has a penis.

tanja

Because it is a MALE. And I am a woman.

jadenus

I wonder if it would be any more acceptable if Rolando Negrin would perform her patdowns.

tanja

So does my MALE partner.
I dont anothe males hands on my body.

I am not into three some.

And none of my female girl friends are that desperate to have a strange mans hands on their body parts.

tkey75

Yeah? And??

What if the hands came out of a box and you didn't get to know the gender of the owner of the hands doing the pat down? Would it make a difference?

GUWonder

Each adult has a right to decide for themselves whether or not it's appropriate for another adult to contact their body in ___ way(s).

Is it still not rape if male person TSA hides his identity while using his penis to vaginally penetrates a woman who has only consented to sexual contact with some non-TSA person(s) XYZ yet is vaginally penetrated by TSA?

Informed consent helps avoid being convicted for rape, so apparently granting informed consent makes a difference.