The TSA has released a new video which it claims is guidance for transgender passengers about screenings at airport security.
The TSA claims it is for our "comfort and awareness."
That’s the TSA’s way of saying it recognizes that transgender travelers “have questions and concerns” when it comes to screening procedures.
Ensure the information on your boarding pass matches your government issued ID.
You know, I have never noticed a gender marker on a boarding pass.
And before stepping into one of those full body scanners, it says, “The TSA officer will press a button designating a gender based on how you present yourself. Male or female.”
Apparently, from the video, however, the officer will decide which gender to designate for you.
If, during the screening process, your prostheses alarms, you may be required to lift or raise clothing.
Nathan Bruemmer with the group TransAction Florida thinks while the video shows progress, it also shows the TSA agent subjectively deciding the passenger’s gender.
That, and a perceived lack of uniformity when it comes to pat-down training.
And there is absolutely no acknowledgement of the existence of nonbinary travelers.
And so some may be a bit more aggressive or intrusive than others. And that creates a problem for all travelers.
--Bruemmer