Worry Some Transgendered People Will Not Be Allowed to Fly in Canada

[Beth-Lock]

A change to the airport screening regulations in force in Canada, as amended last year has been reported as saying that an airline shall not transport a passenger who "does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents."

This means that MTF cross-dressers cannot fly in Canada, en femme, and might even mean, if applied strictly, that any MTF transwoman dressed as a female, cannot fly unless they have had gender correction surgery, although the actual practices and loopholes in the regulations may not amount to that in practice.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/02/02/transgender-airline-screening.html?cmp=googleeditorspick

www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/01/31/canada-air-travel-transgendered-community_n_1245598.html

[Jessinthesprings]

it would seem that there is even more wiggle room here:

"does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents."

So even if you go through all the surgeries have all the parts of a woman, but you unfortunatly don't pass very well as a woman as many of us face we might not "appear" to be the female gender indicated on the ID

[Traci Elizabeth]

Only in Canada! What's up with them?

[Nicole Erin]

Yeah that is gonna go over real good when they tell someone, "You do not look like a woman/man" especially when it is some real effeminate guy or some really ugly butch woman.

Some people do not look like their gender, I am not talking about TS so much but just some general population.

What airport security officer is gonna open themselves up to a law suit by telling someone they do not look like the gender on their ID?

[Steph.TS]

Yeah that is gonna go over real good when they tell someone, "You do not look like a woman/man" especially when it is some real effeminate guy or some really ugly butch woman.

Some people do not look like their gender, I am not talking about TS so much but just some general population.

What airport security officer is gonna open themselves up to a law suit by telling someone they do not look like the gender on their ID?
lol I laughed when I thought about it

"excuse me ma'am you look like a dude"
*slap*

in seriousness I fail to see the relevance gender has to do with security, what they should be focusing on is ensuring we are who we say we are (regardless of gender).

[ReineD]

Oh dear. I can't fly anymore then. Bummer.

They made a mistake when they issued my passport 2 years ago. My Canadian passport says that my gender is M. Hah!

Seriously. I'm not kidding.

[Jonianne]

......my gender is M. Hah!....

Welcome to the forum!

[Kathryn Martin]

My passport identifies my correct name, it marks me as M, the photo is definitively female and I recently flew to Cuba And the US without even as much as getting a second look.

It is an issue that needs to be followed up on but Transport Canada said that the transgendered community should have no problem. I carry a letter from my MD in any event. Also my drivers license says I am F.

While in transition use common sense. You should not have a problem.

I have written a letterto my MP and the Justice Minister like so many others have.

[Silentpartner GG SO]

From reading the first article my first thoughts were - is this an effort to catch terrorists hiding in the guise of a woman in a bourka - the regs. suggest that the whole face must be viewed which would cover that one.
Find it odd that the age thing comes into question - dont know about the States/Canada but here in the UK our passports last 10 years and a person can do quite a bit of aging and changing in 10 years! I dont look very much like my mug-shot at all - thankfully - because I think my passport photo makes me look like an ex-con! and my husband's passport photo looks like he's an escaped con!

That being said, if I ever go to Canada and I get stopped at the gate and told "sorry m'am you cant come into Canada because you look like a guy and your passport says your a gal" I'd be pretty pissed!

These new regs seem like the typical "sledgehammer to crack a walnut" scenario that officials are so good at.