Four Ways the TSA Is Making Flying Easier for Transgender People
Going through airport security is never fun, but it can be particularly difficult for transgender people. In addition to universal annoyances (did you remember to take off your shoes?) transgender people may not have identification documents that match who they are. Many airlines require ticket holders to select “male” or “female” when purchasing a ticket, something that may conflict with identity documents from that allow an ‘X’ gender marker on things like driver's licenses. Finally, the “advanced imaging technology” body scanners — the ones that require you to hold your arms above your head — require TSA agents to select either a “male” or “female” scan, something that for transgender travelers.
Fortunately, to mark 2022’s Transgender Day of Visibility, the Department of Homeland Security has to make traveling while trans a little bit easier. These announcements are part of to “advance equality and visibility for transgender Americans.” Here are four key things to know about the TSA announcements:
1. Full-body scans will no longer be based on gender.
The TSA will be replacing current “Advanced Imaging Technology” scanners — which require the operator to select a “male” or “female” scanning setting — with technology that will not be based on gender. Here’s how transgender model, actor, and public speaker Rosalynne Montoya the current scanners:
“I definitely am not super comfortable going through TSA because I pretty much always set off the scanners as having some sort of ‘anomaly.’ I don’t feel safe. I don’t expect TSA agents to have my best interests at heart. I’ve been sexually assaulted, groped, grabbed, forced to remove my clothing [at TSA checkpoints]. I remember those times every time I go through TSA.”
The TSA stated that the new scanning technology will “advance civil rights and improve the customer experience of travelers who previously have been required to undergo additional screening due to alarms in sensitive areas,” with a rollout coming later this year.
2. TSA is working with airlines to promote “X” gender markers.
Many airlines require passengers to select “male” or “female” when purchasing tickets. The TSA is working with airlines to expand the use of “X” gender markers, and to allow passengers to self-select the “X” gender marker when purchasing tickets.
Including an “X” gender marker on identity documents and records provides an accurate option for people who are non-binary, intersex, or another gender. Every person should be able to select a marker, whether M, F, or X, that feels safest and most appropriate for them to move through the world.
3. TSA is streamlining identity validation.
It can be a nightmare to get through airport security with an ID that doesn’t match your gender presentation. At best, having an ID that doesn’t match your presentation can . At worst, it can result in harassment and missed flights. TSA is updating its policies and guidelines to “remove gender considerations” when verifying ID at an airport, which should reduce delays and make things easier for trans travelers.
4. TSA PreCheck and U.S. passports will add an “X” gender marker.
TSA PreCheck, a voluntary program that people can enroll in to reduce time spent at airport security checkpoints, does not currently offer an “X” gender marker. TSA is changing this, and will add an “X” gender marker to its Trusted Traveler and TSA PreCheck programs. “X” gender markers will also be available on U.S. passports beginning on April 11, 2022.
While TSA’s new scanning technology is supposed to be less likely to flag transgender flyers as potential security threats, TSA PreCheck allows participants to go through a simple metal detector, rather than the full-body scanners. As Rev. Yunus Coldman, an interfaith minister and a New York-based transgender man, , “TSA PreCheck has saved so many trans people from bulls***. You don't have to go through body scanners. You don't have to take your shoes or belt off.”
These changes should make life easier for transgender travelers, but the devil is in the details. Only time will tell if these changes live up to TSA’s promises. In the meantime, TSA has updated , with information about the changes listed above and how to contact TSA if you have any questions.
If you experience mistreatment by the TSA, you can You can also let .
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Press ReleaseDec 2024
LGBTQ Rights
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Press ReleaseDec 2024
LGBTQ Rights
Montana Court Blocks State From Refusing to Correct Sex Markers on Transgender People's Birth Certificates and Driver's LicensesMontana Court Blocks State From Refusing to Correct Sex Markers on Transgender People's Birth Certificates and Driver's Licenses
HELENA, Mont. – A Montana court has granted a preliminary injunction preventing the state of Montana from enforcing policies that bar transgender people from obtaining accurate sex designations on their birth certificates and driver’s licenses. After a prior restriction on amendments of birth certificates was struck down by the courts, in early 2024 the state of Montana enacted a new rule that categorically bars transgender Montanans from correcting the sex designation on their birth certificates. Around the same time, the Montana Department of Justice adopted a policy similarly restricting amendment of driver’s licenses. The plaintiffs challenged these policies in state district court, arguing that they violate various constitutional provisions, including the right to equal protection of the law. In a recent Montana Supreme Court decision, two justices concluded that discrimination on the basis of transgender status – as the state is engaging in here – is a form of sex discrimination that violates the Montana Constitution’s equal protection clause. The plaintiffs, two transgender women, are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Montana, and Nixon Peabody LLP. Plaintiff Jessica Kalarchik, a veteran who served in the United States Army for 31 years, said: “After finally being able to live my life openly as the woman I know myself to be, I am frustrated that my birth state, Montana, wants me to carry around a birth certificate that incorrectly lists my sex as male. I live my life openly as a woman, I am treated as a woman in my daily life, and there is no reason I should be forced to carry a birth certificate that incorrectly identifies me as male. Fortunately, the court agrees that this ridiculous policy should not be in effect.” “Once again the State of Montana chose to adopt a draconian policy that is clearly intended to marginalize transgender Montanans, only for that discriminatory action to be blocked by the courts,” said Akilah Deernose, executive director for the ACLU of Montana. “Here in Montana we treasure our right to privacy and to live our lives free from governmental intrusion. The State of Montana clearly has not learned any lessons from the past few years, where courts have repeatedly struck down unconstitutional laws targeting transgender Montanans.” “Forcing anyone to carry documents that contradict their identity unjustly violates their rights to privacy, equal treatment, and not being compelled to convey a government message about their sex that they disagree with,” said Malita Picasso, staff attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project. “Such a policy marks transgender people for further mistreatment and discrimination, essentially requiring them to carry papers that out them as transgender any time they need to provide identity documents. Fortunately, the court has refused to allow the state of Montana to subvert the freedom of transgender Montanans to control their own identity as this case goes forward.” In granting the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction, the court held, “[i]f the challenged state actions discriminate against transgender individuals on the basis of their transgender status, they also necessarily discriminate the basis of sex.” The state has the option of appealing the district court’s ruling to the Montana Supreme Court, but the underlying case will proceed in district court. A trial has not yet been scheduled. -
FloridaDec 2024
LGBTQ Rights
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IdahoDec 2024
LGBTQ Rights
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