TSA Says It Will Stop Calling Trans Bodies 'Anomalies'

[traci_k]

TSA Says It Will Stop Calling Trans Bodies 'Anomalies'

http://www.advocate.com/transgender/2015/10/13/tsa-says-it-will-stop-calling-trans-bodies-anomalies

The Advocate.com
By Sunnivie Brydum
October 13 2015 6:16 PM EDT

In an exclusive conversation with The Advocate, Transportation Security Administration officials contend that they are working diligently with trans advocacy groups to improve training and standard protocol for agents who encounter transgender passengers.

Most notably, TSA agents will stop describing perceived inconsistencies in a person's anatomy when going through a body scanner as an "anomaly," agency administrators told The Advocate. Officials have yet to settle on what term will be used instead to identify a discrepancy that requires additional screening, but they contend they are working with trans advocates and the broader community to arrive at a solution.
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According to unsubstantiated rumor, TSA agents will now be trained to say "We have an oopsie."

Anybody else wish to offer suggestions to TSA, please feel free to post.

[Devlyn]

How about "There's an issue with the scanner" for starters?

[cathyrains]

What was wrong with using the word "anomaly"? It's accurate.

I think this announcement deflects from the issue of how the TSA treats transgender people, no?

[Eva Marie]

I think this announcement deflects from the issue of how the TSA treats transgender people, no?

That's what I thought too Cathy - simply moving the deck chairs around doesn't change the fact that there is a bigger problem at hand. It smacks of lip service - changing what they decide to call the problem doesn't do a thing to address the huge elephant in the room.

I have personally experienced "traveling while trans" at the hand of the TSA. They need a lot of changes.

[Jill F]

I am not an anomaly.  I am a human being.  Could you imagine if they singled out left handed people or redheads every time they hit the scanner?

How about treating us with respect and dignity?  I don't think that me being trans is the entire terminal's business.

[lisarenee]

How about fixing the machines instead?

[awilliams1701]

How about eliminating the machines. They don't actually work. If you can't tell the difference between a dong and a bomb it serves no purpose. The TSA has never caught a terrorist. Everyone caught since 9/11 was caught by alternate means.

[ErinS]

What was wrong with using the word "anomaly"? It's accurate.

I think this announcement deflects from the issue of how the TSA treats transgender people, no?

I have to agree. "Anomaly" in this instance is not a trans-specific word, and covers pretty much anything that shows up out of the ordinary(and as a non-op transwoman I have zero problem admitting I'm a non-standard configuration)

This is one reason I have Global Entry, and before that always opted out. Frankly the health issues with the scannerscis still an open question, because some of the machines not only emit more radiation than spec but also due to the fact that the radiation level is calculated as a full body dose when in fact it only affects the skin, making the effective dosage much higher.

Honestly I couldn't care less what word is used, when there's far more important-and substantive-issues involved.

[iKate]

How about eliminating the machines. They don't actually work. If you can't tell the difference between a dong and a bomb it serves no purpose. The TSA has never caught a terrorist. Everyone caught since 9/11 was caught by alternate means.

Ding ding ding ding ding we have a winnah!

[kira21 ♡♡♡]

If you can run them through once and it says breasts ok,  and run them through again and it says lower bits ok, why is more needed?  Seriously!?

[Sydney_NYC]

How about eliminating the machines. They don't actually work. If you can't tell the difference between a dong and a bomb it serves no purpose. The TSA has never caught a terrorist. Everyone caught since 9/11 was caught by alternate means.

Ding ding ding ding ding we have a winnah!

Even TSA doesn't like how the machines are setup. Personally I don't have a problem with the term 'Anomaly'. The issue I have is why Shadi Petosky was held for 40 minutes in Orlando. It should have been, "Oh I'm transgender." and a oh, OK, you may go now or at minimum a quick non touching inspection they use of both men and women in the crotch area with the back of the hand by a female agent. They go around the genitals and if something is there that isn't support to be (that's no part of the person) then the clothing will feel different around the crotch area. At least that's how it's "suppose" to work.

I have a friend that is very high up in the TSA Civil Rights and Liberties & Traveliers Engagement division that handles these issues. She flew down to Orlando last week to see the video tape from the airport and interview the agents involved and is under investigation. She saw on Facebook that I had flown to Ft Lauderdale and back this past week and asked how TSA was with me. (She knows I'm pre-op.) I told her that I didn't have any issues with the genitals areas (I tuck pretty easy and pass in a once piece swimsuit without an issue), but they did have to check my hair in the back on the flight down and the bra strap area in the back on the way back, both times by a female agent who were both pleasant. The agent at Laguardia started a conversation asking how tall I was and she wish she had my height. So my experience wasn't any different than a tall cis-women with long hair might have. I personally think those body scanner machines have some issues with tall individuals and this 6'7" girl might be at it's limits.

My friend at the TSA did tell me that they are revising the Transgender policies and working to update the web page. She has complained in the past that it's difficult to get changes made in policies due to the bureaucracy, but this incident did help speed it up. She had already been working to change the policy for gender non-conforming individuals that appear androgynous and how to address them. She even ask our transgender support group for advice on that. So they are trying to listen to our needs and adapt, but there are limits.

[iKate]

I got pinged on the way to Seoul at JFK. My lower bits set off the scanner. I had a female agent do the pat down and they were courteous and sent me on my way. All I had to say is, "I am transgender."

But Ashley is correct in that they have caught exactly zero terrorists with these scanners. The way you catch terrorists is people themselves being aware. This is how we caught the shoe bomber, crotch bomber and the train shooter in Europe.

The element of surprise is essential. That's why law enforcement does drug buys and stakes out gun shows in plain clothes, after all.

[Sydney_NYC]

I got pinged on the way to Seoul at JFK. My lower bits set off the scanner. I had a female agent do the pat down and they were courteous and sent me on my way. All I had to say is, "I am transgender."

....

And that is how it's "suppose" to work.

[SilverWing]

Wait wait wait. They actually stopped people that were transgender from going through the scanner because of their body parts not matching the gender binary?!? I am genuinely shocked. And that's hard to do.