For most of us, TSA is fodder for comics and DU flamewars. For trans people, it's downright scary.

[KamaAina]

http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2010/11/transgender-travelers-and-the-tsa/

For most airline passengers, passing through a TSA security checkpoint has until recently been a slight inconvenience and little more – one minor stressor among the many connected with travel by air. But as a frequent flyer (60,000 miles this year and counting) who is openly transgender, airport security is my single greatest source of anxiety when I travel.

Why? It begins long before I leave for the airport. TSA’s Secure Flight pre-screening program, implemented in 2009, requires passengers to declare their name and gender when purchasing a ticket, and these must match the name and gender on your ID. For many transgender people, this means outing themselves as soon as they present their ID and boarding pass at the checkpoint, as many of us do not have or are unable to acquire ID that matches our transitioned presentation. It often exposes us to heightened scrutiny (and, potentially, to harassment and discrimination) before we ever get in line for the scanners. I’ve been the target of verbal harassment many times at this stage of security. I’ve also had TSA agents expose my identity as a transgender person loudly enough that other passengers in the screening area could hear, violating my privacy and putting me at a higher risk for harassment and even violence from others.

With TSA’s recent introduction of full-body scanners and enhanced pat-down procedures, the risk of discriminatory treatment of transgender passengers increases dramatically. The scanners reveal to security personnel any prostheses a transgender person may be wearing (a transgender woman wearing prosthetic breasts, for example) and expose intimate body contours that can also out us as transgender. This can lead to a pat-down – and to the kind of humiliating treatment recently received by a flight attendant and breast cancer survivor who was required to remove her prosthetic breast for a TSA agent’s inspection after a scan revealed its presence.

A transgender person can be outed several times though the course of this security process, and every time the chances of harassment and discrimination increase. That’s why HRC first raised these issues in 2008 when we presented our Blueprint for Positive Change to the Obama transition team. We’ll continue working with the Administration and with our partner organizations until we’re satisfied TSA procedures balance legitimate security needs with the dignity and safety of all travelers, including those of us who are transgender.

:grr: :banghead:

[SoCalNative]

1. And this is exactly the reason I've decided against any air travel

for the near and distant future.

[frylock]

2. self delete

jesus fucking christ people. i really have come to dislike this place anymore.

[KamaAina]

3. Did you forget this?

:sarcasm:

Because without it, you might appear to be suggesting that it's acceptable to discriminate against people based on their gender status. I trust you'd be up in arms if they began racial profiling. But somehow this is A-OK. :eyes:

[frylock]

4. i felt the post was so over-the-top absurd as to stand on it's own merit

[KamaAina]

14. Sorry for being a bit gun-shy

but there is enough authentic homophobia and transphobia at DU to have made me wonder.

[Ferret Annica]

20. This is true. And it's close to the holidays and the tension gay and trans-gender people

normally live with is intensified this time of year. People need to think before they do a sarcastic post. As it sure does not feel sarcastic to read it if you normally live in a state of social combat anyway in day to day life.

[frylock]

23. evidently is was too over-the-top..

thanks for following up.

[Ferret Annica]

10. I'm not amused, even with the sarcasm tag.

As a transgendered person I generally keep my cool when faced with ignorance in my long time home town from people used to seeing me before I couldn't stand the discomfort and frustrations of being what I'm not.

This guy can take whatever he meant and shove it. I am not amused.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Matariki]

11. Sheesh. That was obvious sarcarsm

and parody of some of the "flying is not a priviledge, not a right" posts that have popped up here.

[frylock]

13. thank you..

it's refreshing to see that some people are paying attention.

[Ferret Annica]

17. I am paying attention too. The comment was not appreciated

It is a common tactic for people to be passively aggressive about bigotry by cloaking hate speech as an 'oops,' or to claim sarcasm.

How about just not going there? The comment is not taken as sarcasm by me, nor will such comments ever be taken that way by me.

Part of having thick political skin from these forums is to also know when to give a good verbal head butt over comments identical to hate speak on Free Republic.

Byte me.

[frylock]

22. i apologize for my offensive comment..

i am and front and center on the fight for equal rights. i am in no way, shape or form a bigot, your armchair psychoanalysis notwithstanding. as was posted above, my post was in reponse to the parrots sqwuaking about commercial flight being a privelege. the comment was directed to them, and them alone. this story serves to reinforce that it's not a black or white issue when it comes to the privelege of flying.

[Ferret Annica]

25. Accepted, and thank you for deleting that post

Many of us suffer social death of various degrees when transitioning. And we live with having to stay on guard for those who act out.

I was attacked in Portland and given a roundhouse Karate kick to the neck I had only time to go into an anchoring martial arts stance and take.

Fortunately, I was in very good shape that year from working in the Pacific Northwest woods. He ultimately was dealt with his acting out with very bad legal consequences as he had kicked and punched many that night with his friends in tow on NW Start Street on Portland. Oregon.

He had been knocking people down for his friends to boot. Which is hard to do to a tree planter who had been in combat arms in the U.S. Army. In any event, I have learned never to be a wall flower when hearing hate speech in public. An assault on any that is bigoted in nature is an assault on all of us.

For example, use the 'N' word in a store because you don't like African American people, I will head right to you and take you to task. Part of that comes from doing activism that can be tense and contentious.

And a larger part comes from the empathy that is best forged in the heat of what others direct toward you because they don't understand why the remedial measures involved with dealing with trans-gender issues and express this with hate, fear and striking out.

Have a good Thanksgiving friend, and I appreciate the kind words.

[frylock]

28. i'll often times resort to hyperbole and offensive comments to drive a point home..

sometimes i need to take a step back before clicking the post button. have a wonderful weekend yourself, Ferret!

[Ferret Annica]

15. Think I'm a hard case and humorless, go joke to a TSA staff member

that you are there to hijack a plane. You apologize for this should you wish to, but leave me out of your justification of bad manners.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[glitch]

32. Deleted in response to your deletion. nt

[TriMera]

5. k & r. n/t

[bobbolink]

6. Thank you for this. At some point, we all need to recognize we are ALL in this together,

and to stand in solidarity with ALL who are being isolated and harmed by discrimination.

I have posted today on the issue of people who are labeled "mentally ill" and thoughtlessly using terms that hurt them.

This is another issue, and surely one that we can all begin to have empathy for.

Thank you for posting... may we all gain more sensitivity to the pain of others!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. yeah its very intrusive for trans people.

[Initech]

18. It's very intrusive for everybody!!!

It's not just limited to one group - everyone is feeling violated by these pat downs in some way, shape or form. Look at the "don't touch my junk" guy. Look at that guy in Atlanta who was covered in piss when asked to remove his colostomy bag. Look at that three year old. This affects everybody!! I'm glad people are pissed off and starting to take notice - that's the only way we can fight back.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

30. yes, but some people are additionally embarrassed and traumatized

i think trans people, disabled people, rape victims etc probably feel it more than others do

[TheWatcher]

9. I hope the Security Apologists on DU will read this.

Then again, maybe not. I am not in the mood for their spin and insane rationalizations today.

Flying is not an option for people like me, if this is the way things are going to be.

I have to put up with enough shit as it is.

I am NOT subjecting myself to this.

I can't believe what a weak, soft, cowardly, submissive, compliant country we have become.

As for the people who continue to support and promote this, I simply cannot understand. if it were Bush, DU would be up in arms.

But because it's the Quarterback of our Football team, we have to suck our thumbs and go-along with whatever, lest his precious image be tarnished or Party Popularity be damaged by even half a point.

[babydollhead]

16. My nephew is transgendering from male to female

She has breasts from estrogen, but still is equipped as a male. She is very young (21) and fragile. I worry for her. The gender names are taking time to get used to. Love is love. I've loved this kid forever.

[Ferret Annica]

19. Heh, you meant; your niece.

It is hard for family members to shift gears mentally, I know from my own experience.

And as I even slip up when my hand used to writing another signature goes on auto pilot, this is normal.

I was amused by your unintended slip.

[etherealtruth]

21. I am ashamed to admit this did not occur to me

(I've never supported the asinine policy, though .... I blame the idiots in positions of power)

Thanks for bringing even more serious concerns to the forefront.

[slackmaster]

24. I believe an unlimited number of identifiable groups of people could make similar claims

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/special-pleading.html

[KamaAina]

27. Seriesly?

You think that cisgendered (the opposite of trans; chemistry majors will get it) people have to worry that the image of their "intimate body contours" would reveal a secret that could well subject them to harassment and violence?

[slackmaster]

34. Yes, certainly.

Most cultures require people to keep certain parts of their bodies covered, and don't permit people to grope others without consent. There are reasons for that.

[myrna minx]

26. K&R n/t

[woo me with science]

29. Well, okay, but I would rather we reiterate

that the TSA's new screening procedures are WRONG whether you are trans or not,

whether you are a rape victim or not,

whether you are elderly with a hip replacement or not,

whether you have a colostomy bag or not.

whether you are 13 years old or not.

While I sympathize with the emotions here, I am ambivalent about all these posts protesting that subgroups of us will suffer from this.

I am ambivalent because I fear some people will (unfairly or not) interpret an underlying message that it's only because of these people that we must resist.

We must resist, because the screening procedures are an unconstitutional invasion of the liberty, privacy, and dignity of ALL Americans.

[backscatter712]

31. K&R. For non-trans people, the porno-scanners and grope-downs are bad enough...

but it didn't occur to me to see how humiliating and degrading it would be for someone who's transgendered.

The DU authoritarian TSA apologists have no idea about this sort of thing.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

33. >:(

:mad:

[BlueIris]

35. I hate me some airport security b.s. nt

[lightningandsnow]

36. Thank you.

[dembotoz]

37. this never occured to me. thankyou for opening my eyes.