Transgender Travelers vs. the TSA
January 11, 2011
Kal Cobalt
http://www.edenfantasys.com/sexis/body/trangender-vs-the-tsa-0111113/There's a lot of outrage about the TSA's "enhanced patdowns" (their term) and "pornoscanners" (the media's) going around. Despite all the coverage, one important problem has been overlooked— but then, it always has: How do gender and orientation outliers navigate the system of "same-sex" security?
No one loves to go through airport security, especially now that stricter measures are in place. If you haven't heard, here's a quick rundown of what's causing all the fuss: At the TSA screener's discretion, any air traveler can be subjected to enhanced screening, which consists of either a backscatter scan or an enhanced patdown. What do these terms mean, and why is it especially important to GLBTQ community? Let's get into it.