Traveling with a male passport?

[badsamaritan]

I'm flying home for winter break and unfortunately my passport is from 2011. It doesn't look like me, has the wrong name, and the wrong gender. My boarding pass is under the same name as my passport. At this point I'm not sure I could pass as male if I tried, and even if I could I really, really don't want to.

Have any of you had to get on a plane with your papers out of order like this? Is there anything I can tell the TSA people to make them let me through without massive amounts of fuss? Will it just be a thoroughly awful experience no matter what I do?

Thanks!

[Tessa James]

HI Badsam,

I have done some travel and flying thru multiple US airports and initially had your same concerns.  I am out fulltime en femme and maybe not that passable and still have the male passport and other ID.  I decided to give myself a full year of transition while trying on a few other middle names and intend to do the legal name change very soon.  A solstice gift to myself

When I first traveled I had a letter from my MD that noted I am a transsexual under her medical care (HRT).  I never needed it.  When I went thru the airport security detector the machine pinged on my bra straps and they made me walk thru again to the same pings.  They checked my ticket with my male name and seeing this I explained that I am transgender.  They then told me I would need to be patted down and respectfully asked if I wanted a female to do so in a private room.  Intriguing as that sounded I was in a hurry and said "frisk away" which they did.  At another airport they again looked at me twice while comparing the male name on my ticket and my feminine presentation.  I smiled and said "i am transgender" and that was enough, they waved me thru.  While waiting in yet another security line I struck up a conversation with one of the uniformed women and she told me that they see trans people "all the time" and it was "no big deal" unless I was carrying "something else in that bra."    I worried a bit about the bathrooms too but those places are so busy I was just glad to get a seat and probably got more attention because I nervously walked in and out so fast.

In sum, I think most big airports are sophisticated places and I doubt you will get any hassle whether you choose to comfortably and confidently be yourself or that other guy

[Katie]

Ummm I have a question. Did you legally change your name yet?

The reason I ask this is because you didn't indicate if you did our not. However the way you were discussing the situation it sounds like you have not changed your name yet. Why??? If you as you put it, cant present a male why have you not changed your name??

I can tell you one thing, when I got my name changed I very quickly had all the documents that I thought important changed. When I went to Thailand my passport was all correct but it had a M on it for the sex. Something I really didn't care much about because it was about to be fixed. Besides I was way more obnoxious when I was pre op and I always had a response line ready if anyone were to say anything to me.

Katie

[FalseHybridPrincess]

Κatie , I dont know the situation here , but in some countries changing your name isnt that easy... 

[ZoeM]

I had one situation with the TSA where I tried to use my passport as photo ID - back in July. They basically refused to believe I was the person on the passport until I corroborated with additional photo ID.

I'd say, if you pass, get a new passport.

[Sammy]

This has been on my mind too, as my passport expires in November 2014, and the current photo is from 2004. You can guess how I looked back then .
I know I will have some travelling till next November, but luckily (or not) I am not in the US so nobody usually pays much attention to Your picture and all check-ins are mostly electronic. Maybe I should ask my therapist for some kind of letter just in case...

[Catherine Sarah]

To those, that are affected by this unique portion of transition.

If the explanation of being transgendered is insufficient, ensure you travel with a letter from your GP or medical professional, attesting to your gender status. Other documentation from counsellors, therapists, Endocronoligist and other professionals in the sme vein should be adequate.

Happy traveling and holidays
Huggs
Catherine

[badsamaritan]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. It sounds like it shouldn't be too bad.

I haven't changed my name or gotten a new passport because I can't afford it. I'm hoping to take care of that while I'm home so I can get my family to help cover it.

[barbie]

I travel a lot with my passport (Male). In summer, I try to wear minimally to avoid any unnecessary ransack in the airport. I sometimes wear miniskirt and heels in the airport and the airline staffs clearly know that I am a male, but they never ask about my gender identity. They just try to be kind.

In TSA, there could be some confusions, but no harassment so far, except one event. Usually female staffs ransack me. Once a female staff shouted like "he is a man!" as she already saw my ID and another female staff tried to ransack me. At that time, I was really upset and admonished her not to shout like that way.

In the last summer, I visited Slovenia via Istanbul. They just compared my face with the photo in the passport. I wore minimally and nobody ransacked me.

At Slovenia airport:



barbie~~

[Tessa James]

Travel in the US can certainly be more confident with a passport and ID that fits.  We don't, however, have a national ID or a state required ID for travel in the US.  I worry more about the "homeland Security" zealots, "watch" or "no fly list" as we recently learned how easy it is to be wrongly on the secret lists.  A name change is very personal and I can readily support a thorough process of finding what works for each individual.  Transition is a journey we do at our own speed and comfort levels.  I look forward to further validation of my name and identity but not to all the fuss of changing my name in dozens of places.  DMVs, banks and credit card offices are not my fun hang outs;-)