Dear TSA, My Body Is Not an Anomaly

[stephaniec]

Dear TSA, My Body Is Not an Anomaly

http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/10/01/dear-tsa-my-body-not-anomaly

The Advocate/By Carl Charles October 01 2015 4:45 AM EDT

""Sir or ma'am or whatever, please step over here," were not the words I wanted to hear from a blue-clad TSA agent twice my size as I was moving through the security line at Denver International Airport.

I was running late for my flight to Washington, D.C., where I was to start my summer legal internship with the National LGBTQ Task Force. My excitement for the trip was promptly squelched as the giant, red-faced man shouted, loudly enough for the whole terminal to hear, "We have anomalies in the chest and groin area. Private screening, female agent requested."

[suzifrommd]

I'm inclined to think this is a training issue. Training is a notoriously hard thing to oversee. Training manuals are often not read. Training classes often don't follow the full agenda they are supposed to.

I am far from surprised there are TSA officers who have not been taught how to interact respectfully with us.

[chuufk]

I'm inclined to think this is a training issue.

I'm inclined to think it is poor manners. Have these people no concept of "respect"?

[IdontEven]

The TSA is flawed from conception to reality, with lowest common denominator hiring practices. While these sorts of stories are awful, I can't say they're a surprise.

Hopefully someone can get them straightened out sooner or later, until then we get our authoritarianism with a heaping side of incompetence. But at least we're safe. Says so right there in the name!

[Devlyn]

It's under commentary, though. Is this an accounting of actual events or just a fiction piece? Inquiring minds want to know. 

Hugs, Devlyn

[chuufk]

Devlyn - it says:

"I worried that reporting what happened would lead to TSA agents further dismissing my dignity and humanity. I couldn't go through that again, and to this day, I avoid air travel whenever possible."

and then a few lines later

"Because let's be real: subjecting me, Petosky, and thousands of trans people around the country to this kind of treatment is not upholding "strict guidelines in the treatment of transgender passengers." "

if it is commentry, it is well disguised.

[Devlyn]

Yeah, but there's the fact that it's in op/ed and not news. It's cloudy to me. I have to say, I think getting abusive with TSA would get you arrested.

Hugs, Devlyn

[Sebby Michelango]

Dear TSA, My Body Is Not an Anomaly

http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/10/01/dear-tsa-my-body-not-anomaly

The Advocate/By Carl Charles October 01 2015 4:45 AM EDT

""Sir or ma'am or whatever, please step over here," were not the words I wanted to hear from a blue-clad TSA agent twice my size as I was moving through the security line at Denver International Airport.

I was running late for my flight to Washington, D.C., where I was to start my summer legal internship with the National LGBTQ Task Force. My excitement for the trip was promptly squelched as the giant, red-faced man shouted, loudly enough for the whole terminal to hear, "We have anomalies in the chest and groin area. Private screening, female agent requested."

It seems like TSA doesn't care about respecting other humans. If they are going to do so stupid screening, they could at least be more friendly and not talk so mean to people. The airport security have to teach more about things they may see while working at a airport. A transgenders life are hard enough itself with gender dysphoria etc. And the society at the top do it just worser.

[Amy1988]

Dear TSA, My Body Is Not an Anomaly

http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/10/01/dear-tsa-my-body-not-anomaly

The Advocate/By Carl Charles October 01 2015 4:45 AM EDT

""Sir or ma'am or whatever, please step over here," were not the words I wanted to hear from a blue-clad TSA agent twice my size as I was moving through the security line at Denver International Airport.

I was running late for my flight to Washington, D.C., where I was to start my summer legal internship with the National LGBTQ Task Force. My excitement for the trip was promptly squelched as the giant, red-faced man shouted, loudly enough for the whole terminal to hear, "We have anomalies in the chest and groin area. Private screening, female agent requested."

Is it possible to call ahead and let them know you are coming? Maybe that way they won't surprised and more likely to react in a respectful manner.

[Amy1988]

Just how revealing are those X-Ray machines?

[Sydney_NYC]

Is it possible to call ahead and let them know you are coming? Maybe that way they won't surprised and more likely to react in a respectful manner.

The only thing you can do is make a card from this PDF link from TSA's website so you can tell them you are transgender without having to yell it out.

https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/disability_notification_cards.pdf

[ErinS]

Policy is to treat the person as the gender they present. Some tsa folks I know told me about a large bearded man wearing a babydoll getup that came through, they ended up being screened by a female screener.

My honest advice is if you fly at all to go get Global Entry as it also includes precheck. The precheck lane is only a fraction of the volume of regular lane and much less intrusive without the scanners, as a result the tsa people working that side are much less stressed and have more time available to discuss something like this if an issue arises. Barring that, my advice for preop people is to opt out if you don't have precheck. I always opted out before precheck and would certainly do so now, as it isn't a big deal.

Don't take that as excusing the recent incidents, but the fact is we do live in an imperfect world and it helps to take shortcuts if they'll reduce exposure to the BS.

[iKate]

Policy is to treat the person as the gender they present. Some tsa folks I know told me about a large bearded man wearing a babydoll getup that came through, they ended up being screened by a female screener.

My honest advice is if you fly at all to go get Global Entry as it also includes precheck. The precheck lane is only a fraction of the volume of regular lane and much less intrusive without the scanners, as a result the tsa people working that side are much less stressed and have more time available to discuss something like this if an issue arises. Barring that, my advice for preop people is to opt out if you don't have precheck. I always opted out before precheck and would certainly do so now, as it isn't a big deal.

Don't take that as excusing the recent incidents, but the fact is we do live in an imperfect world and it helps to take shortcuts if they'll reduce exposure to the BS.

This!!! As soon as my name change is effective I'm getting GE. My credit card reimburses the fee anyway.

[iKate]

Just how revealing are those X-Ray machines?

They aren't X-RAY. They are millimeter wave. They don't reveal pictures of you. They reveal a generic computer generated silhouette with problem areas identified by the computer. The screener has to configure the machine for male or female.

[Sydney_NYC]

I flying to Florida out of LaGuardia on Wednesday morning, so we shall see how I get treated. I've only had to use the millimeter wave machine once in the 20 times I've flown in the last 3 years. Somehow they hardly ever pick me and the last time I flew I was randomly selected for the pre-check line, which blew my mind since it was the first time I had flown with my new name and matching ID with the correct gender marker on them.

The last time I was sent through one of those machines was in a month or two after HRT at Newark (NJ) Airport and I was still presenting male. I was wearing a sports bra to hide the girls and the machine picked up my small breasts as an abnormality. A male TSA agent searched me and when he felt the bra, I told him I was transgender and just started transitioning. He turned about 3 shades of red and said ok, not a problem and sent me on my way.

Yesterday over breakfast and I were talking about our trip. (I'm flying to Florida, but she is driving to TN to pickup her father to take to Florida to look for a house to buy because he doesn't like to fly and we didn't want him at 73 to drive from TN to FL all by himself. Plus I can't afford 4 days of driving away from work and with flights to Florida being so cheap right now. ($99 each way.)

Anyway my wife says to me jokingly over breakfast yesterday: "You get to fly in luxury when I drive to TN and FL."
ME: "Yes, but I have to deal with possible groping from the TSA!"
Wife (jokingly): "Awe, I get to miss out on that fun too!"
ME: "I guess I get to see how well my tuck is on the machine."
Wife: "Everything is so small and staying tucked in on there own I don't think your going to have a problem with that. Your testes are probally saying, 'We're hiding in here until it's time to leave for good!' "

I love my wife's humor in things!!!