Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Since I will fly back Los Angeles for my second Trachea shave surgery on September, I am thinking go there as Amanda for the whole trip, including take the flights in girl mode. But the problem is that my DL still have my M mark and my pic were taken in male mode (I am in Texas now, I hope I were in CA which I can easy change my gender mark in my DL). So I am thinking to get a letter from therapist to show to the TSA in the airport. Will that works? Anyone has the similar experience? thx.

I showed the people at the passport place my carry letter and they said theyd see what they can do. You would probably have to bring a lot of documents to proof who you are but they might accept it.

You should not have a problem. A letter is not likely necessary. Make sure you have an 'M' on your plane ticket, though. Airlines are required to match information between your ID and your ticket, for the whole terrorism watch list business. They are certainly not required to match the gender marker on your ID with your gender presentation.

I base this on personal experience. I've flown fairly recently (well, the last time was Chritmas) with an old ID and had no problem.

Thanks. I don't think the air-ticket will have gender mark, plus most of time I use the self-service to get my boarding pass which I only need is my credit card. I just worry the airport security (TSA), since they will also look the pic on ID and check if the face match. The pic in my current ID still look masculine(at least to me) since I took that pic in male mode, and most of people think I am pretty passable in girl mode, so I afraid the TSA may give me trouble if they wonder if that ID is really my ID.

I traveled the same way a couple of months prior to name change and full time. My ID still had male name and pic on them. I flew from Texas to California and back. The only issue I had was the first TSA guy i dealt with. He looked at my ID, and in a loud voice, and using my male name, asked if I had any other ID. I told him no. He asked again in the same manner, and I told him that this was the only ID I had with me. He then gave me my ticket and id back, and I proceeded to security screening. I did have a letter with me, but never needed it. All my other TSA encounters were fine, rental car, checking in with the airlines, no other issues.
   

Quote from: amandax on July 10, 2010, 10:53:11 AM
Thanks. I don't think the air-ticket will have gender mark, plus most of time I use the self-service to get my boarding pass which I only need is my credit card. I just worry the airport security (TSA), since they will also look the pic on ID and check if the face match. The pic in my current ID still look masculine(at least to me) since I took that pic in male mode, and most of people think I am pretty passable in girl mode, so I afraid the TSA may give me trouble if they wonder if that ID is really my ID.

You are required to provide the following when you get a ticket:

Quote from: TSA Secure Flight Program
    *  Name as it appears on government-issued I.D. when traveling
    * Date of Birth
    * Gender
    * Redress Number (if available)

Source: http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/secureflight/

The last part is only for people who end up being "false positives" on the no-fly list. Unless you have had a problem before, don't worry about it.

Quote from: katgirl74 on July 10, 2010, 06:14:28 PM
I traveled the same way a couple of months prior to name change and full time. My ID still had male name and pic on them. I flew from Texas to California and back. The only issue I had was the first TSA guy i dealt with. He looked at my ID, and in a loud voice, and using my male name, asked if I had any other ID. I told him no. He asked again in the same manner, and I told him that this was the only ID I had with me. He then gave me my ticket and id back, and I proceeded to security screening. I did have a letter with me, but never needed it. All my other TSA encounters were fine, rental car, checking in with the airlines, no other issues.

:(

That TSA guy is a jerk, and he should be fired. I'm not saying you ought to report him or anything; that's your business. But you don't deserve that. The TSA should not and (officially) does not condone that kind of treatment of passengers.

I flew recently with connecting flights also and each time they basically looked back and forth between me and my i.d. for a good minute. The pic was taken at the start of transition and I tend to get "that's not you" alot. I think they are trained to be aware of trans ppl and what specifically to do, so it ended up being o.k.

Quote from: amandax on July 08, 2010, 11:21:13 PM
Since I will fly back Los Angeles for my second Trachea shave surgery on September, I am thinking go there as Amanda for the whole trip, including take the flights in girl mode. But the problem is that my DL still have my M mark and my pic were taken in male mode (I am in Texas now, I hope I were in CA which I can easy change my gender mark in my DL). So I am thinking to get a letter from therapist to show to the TSA in the airport. Will that works? Anyone has the similar experience? thx.

Last november, I had my therapist write a letter for me because I had to fly down to CA from WA for my grandmother's funeral....at the time I was living full time outside of work and it was very painful to goto work as a boy so there was no way I was flying like that either.

My counselor called the TSA and they told her that if the picture on my license did not match how I looked, there would be problems and they could possibly not let me on the plane. My counselor actually thought that would inhibit me but I told her I was still going to do it...and I did.

I talk about it in length on my blog here if interested: http://blog.jericanation.com/2009/11/2-airports-1-bathing-suit-and-funeral.html (http://blog.jericanation.com/2009/11/2-airports-1-bathing-suit-and-funeral.html) .

Summarily, it depends on the person checking IDs. Some of them will be fine and others may make an issue. But I don't think they wont let you on the plane.

Having some experience in the airline industry it is important that your ID picture looks somewhat like you. There is absolutely no law against dressing and presenting as a female even if yor ID says male. The TSA is worried about people trying to misrepresent themselves. They are comparing your name to the no fly list so they want to make sure you are the person on the ID. Before I got the coveted F on my license I got a new DMV picture with my long hair and a feminine top. I also carried a letter from my therapist but never had to use it. If the TSA officer looked at me funny I simply said I was a male to female transsexual in transition. They really don't want to get involved once they are satisfied you are who your ID says you are. My F drivers licence eliminates the problem although I hope those awful male parts are gone before full body scans are used.

Pam

Do you drink? Do you go out to clubs ever? If you use the ID to get liquor or get into shows or bars, it's unlikely the TSA will have a problem.

Note: It's more about the picture matching than the fact that it has M or F on it from what I understand

I flew a few times while .   and if the name matches the name on the ticket and id and the pic is close you should be fine. i never had a problem
Bethany

Thanks, that really give me the confidence. As I mentioned in other post, my image from the pic are always masculined no matter I am in girl or male mode (at least in my eyes), but I think the TSA can still see the similary between my ID pic and my real life face :)

Also, per your experience, even the TSA take longer time or bigger effort to make sure I am ok to fly, they will not make a big deal to me front other panssagers, right? I afraid their reaction can make me under a spotlight and got attention from other people.  I really don't like get that kind of attention, and have the feeling that maybe many people sit around to me in the airplane knows I am tran.

they are looking for bombs weapons and other bad things
:police: ;D