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  1. #1
    Gone to live my life
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    Question for Canadian Members or Those Who May Know

    Hi all,

    Well I am a bit steamed to say the least . . . just when I wish to rest on my laurels about how progressive Canada is, I get blindsided by narrow minded Conservative tripe designed to discriminate against those who do not conform to a neat binary.

    My wife and I just got back from a trip to the US and as I have an upcoming trip to the Victoria BC I thought this would be a great opportunity to experience flying as Isha. So, I approached the CATSA agents to ask what things I need to do in order to ensure a smooth check in / screening while "en femme". Imagine my surprise when the agent looked at me, smirked and said "Unless you have your equipment removed or have a doctor's letter saying it will be done within the year, it is illegal to fly as the opposite gender". Needless to say, the douchebag agent and myself had words along with his supervisor about his rudeness and I have lodged an official complaint about the agent and now his DB supervisor who laughed at my "silly question".

    So my understanding is that an obscure Transport Canada change (no vote required) in 2012 made it illegal for Trans persons to fly while presenting as the opposite gender on their documentation unless they could produce a doctor's letter indicating they are TS and will undergo SRS within a year.

    So my question to any Canadian TG folks who have flown as the opposite gender since 2012 . . . Is this something you have experienced?

    Sorry, very upset and very ashamed to be Canadian at this moment

    Hugs

    Isha

  2. #2
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    Isha, that is totally insane. Illegal? That's not cool.
    I haven't been to Canada (yet) but I guess I won't fly.....

  3. #3
    Swans have more fun! sandra-leigh's Avatar
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    In the FB discussions I have seen, this has not been a problem in practice for anyone who has gone through it.

    The key to keep it within legality is to use your legal sex marker on the reservation / ticket.

    If, like me, you can be "read" at a glance, then oddly that can be easier than if someone really has to look hard to see your birth sex. If "no-one is fooled" then you are not "passing yourself off" as the other gender.

  4. #4
    The non-GG next door.... Candice Mae's Avatar
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    Hmm... May need to keep some of my old clothes around, otherwise I will be grounded. I wonder if this applies to boarder crossings, preventing me from going to the states to catch a flight. As I really have no reason to fly with in Canada.

  5. #5
    Gold Member JenniferR771's Avatar
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    Does that mean CTSA demands that women who wear jeans, boots, and have short hair are not permitted to fly? Or is it OK as long as they are carrying a purse?
    This is upsetting. Thanks for the information, Isha.
    Hopefully more enlightened persons will reverse this sad idea.

  6. #6
    AKA Lexi sometimes_miss's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JenniferR771 View Post
    Does that mean CTSA demands that women who wear jeans, boots, and have short hair are not permitted to fly? Or is it OK as long as they are carrying a purse?
    We all know that this doesn't apply to women. The double standard about gender is still in full force.

    Quote Originally Posted by Michelle Deere View Post
    The other interesting fact about this whole thing is ref "5.2 (1) (c) the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents". Funny, both my drivers licence and passport indicate SEX not GENDER. So, technically, by the letter of the policy, it can't be done.
    Yep, who ever wrote this needs to be educated, there is a difference.
    yeah, in a court of law I suppose that's correct, but that won't stop you from going through all the aggravation of being pulled aside to argue your case, and potentially get pulled off the flight while they debate your point.

    Quote Originally Posted by Krisi View Post
    The easiest thing to do is suck it up and dress how you are expected to dress. You can change when you get off the plane.
    ^this. After all, we've spent so much of our lives living as standard issue males, what's a few more hours? If you want, wear a nice comfy pair of panties under sweatpants and a t shirt, have a few drinks, listen to some music once they allow mp3 players to be used, bring a board a copy of Cosmo and Glamour, a nice book from recommended reads listed on Seventeen magazines' website, and enjoy a (hopefully) uneventful flight. You'll hardly remember that you're a guy at all.
    Last edited by Shelly Preston; 10-18-2014 at 09:33 AM. Reason: Merged- please use the edit button
    Some causes of crossdressing you've probably never even considered: My TG biography at:http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/...=1#post1490560
    There's an addendum at post # 82 on that thread, too. It's about a ten minute read.
    Why don't we understand our desire to dress, behave and feel like a girl? Because from childhood, boys are told that the worst possible thing we can be, is a sissy. This feeling is so ingrained into our psyche, that we will suppress any thoughts that connect us to being or wanting to be feminine, even to the point of creating separate personalities to assign those female feelings into.

  7. #7
    GG ReineD's Avatar
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    I have an anecdote to offer. I live in the US. I recently renewed a lapsed 5-year Canadian passport. in 2009 shortly after it was issued, I received a call from Passport Canada apologizing for the mistake, but they had given me a Male designation on my passport. The representative asked me to send her the passport as soon as I could so that she could fix the mistake. I was due to fly to Canada a few weeks hence, so I didn't send it. And then I forgot about it. During the course of the 5 years, every time I remembered was when I needed it to travel to Canada, so it was not the time to mail it in and wait to have it corrected. I have flown to Canada and driven across borders multiple times per year. NO ONE has ever even pointed out that my passport gender was "M"! (and no, I don't look like a guy. )

    People can be sticklers when citing rules, but in practice it is another matter.

    Also, Sandra has a good point. If your passport and ticket indicate "M", then there is no issue. It is not up to the CATSA to comment on your hair length or clothing choices. People change their hair length and color, men grow and shave beards, etc.

    FYI, the exact wording of the law is as follows:

    http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regula.../FullText.html

    5.2 (1) An air carrier shall not transport a passenger if
    (a) the passenger presents a piece of photo identification and does not resemble the photograph;
    (b) the passenger does not appear to be the age indicated by the date of birth on the identification he or she presents;
    (c) the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents; or
    (d) the passenger presents more than one form of identification and there is a major discrepancy between those forms of identification.

    (2) Despite paragraph (1)(a), an air carrier may transport a passenger who presents a piece of photo identification but does not resemble the photograph if
    (a) the passenger’s appearance changed for medical reasons after the photograph was taken and the passenger presents the air carrier with a document signed by a health care professional and attesting to that fact; or
    (b) the passengers’s face is bandaged for medical reasons and the passenger presents the air carrier with a document signed by a health care professional and attesting to that fact.
    I think the intent is to prevent a person from using someone else's passport as their own for nefarious reasons. If a transsexual has had FFS, is on HRT, and no longer looks like her old photo, yet she has not had her gender marker legally changed, could she not have her passport photo changed while still retaining the "M" until such time as she can legally change it to "F", plus carry a letter indicating that she is undergoing transition? I don't take it that the law is preventing someone from appearing in the manner they choose.
    Reine

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by ReineD View Post
    . . . People can be sticklers when citing rules, but in practice it is another matter.

    Also, Sandra has a good point. If your passport and ticket indicate "M", then there is no issue. It is not up to the CATSA to comment on your hair length or clothing choices. People change their hair length and color, men grow and shave beards, etc.

    FYI, the exact wording of the law is as follows:

    5.2 (1) An air carrier shall not transport a passenger if
    (a) the passenger presents a piece of photo identification and does not resemble the photograph;
    (b) the passenger does not appear to be the age indicated by the date of birth on the identification he or she presents;
    (c) the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents; or

    I think the intent is to prevent a person from using someone else's passport as their own for nefarious reasons... I don't take it that the law is preventing someone from appearing in the manner they choose.
    Hi Reine,

    I agree in principle and from other feedback received from a local TG support group . . . there have been few issues with "trans" persons flying while presenting in the opposite gender from their travel documentation. Specifically, if you look like your photo ID even while dressed (i.e., you don't pass whatsoever) it is unlikely they will prevent you from boarding as it is a touchy subject. However this is a lot of "might, should, may, can". Others have said, if the letter of the regulation is applied "the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents" it can be left up the CSTSA agent to interpret what that means as there is no policy on the CSTSA site for transgender travel. So if I happen upon a ticketing agent or CSTSA employee who looks at me and says . . . "you are presenting as a woman and your ID says male . . . no flight for you" I can certainly ask to see a supervisor but if they side with the agent then I am out of luck and arguing the point will only be me ejected from the airport as a safety concern.

    So while the wording may have been designed with the best intentions to ensure some terrorist does not slip through disguised as a woman the interpretation is too broad. Hence the reason why the two dimwits I talked to yesterday interpreted the regulation as unless I am TS with the working parts removed or have a doctor's letter saying I am going through the process . . . I can't fly while presenting myself as a woman regardless of how poorly I pass. BTW I just checked my ticket from my outbound flights to Washington from Canada and nowhere is "gender" even indicated.

    Quote Originally Posted by Gillian Gigs View Post
    . . . If we want safety, then we all have a price to pay, whether we like it or not.
    Hi Gillian,

    My gender presentation has nothing to do with "safety" and everything to do with IMHO providing a poorly worded regulation which could provide the opportunity for some CSTSA employee or ticketing agent to discriminate at will. I have to ponder the question why a security risk would go through all the trouble to disguise himself as a woman only to present "male" identification when boarding a flight . . . hmmm seems a bit counterintuitive . . . "yes I know it says male on my passport but trust me I am a woman, nudge, nudge, wink, wink".

    Regarding "giving up rights" for the sake of safety . . . are you serious? I get so tired of people throwing that Conservative tripe about restricting basic human rights for the greater good BS. Don't fool yourself, whenever we give up basic rights in the name of "freedom and or safety" we become less free and less safe. I am in the military and have seen first hand what curtailed freedom and rights do in other countries . . . funny how my TG status is never an issue when it is time go deploy for the sake of freedom.

    Hugs

    Isha

  9. #9
    Reality Check
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    Blame it on the terrorists. People who are willing to kill themselves just to take out a few hundred innocent others who don't believe in the same supreme being as they do. It wasn't so long ago that you could buy a plane ticket and just walk onto the plane and sit down. You could give your ticket to a friend and he or she could just walk onto the plane and sit down. Been there, done that.

    Now, because of the threat of terrorists, your privacy is invaded, you have to prove who you are and stand in long lines to get on the plane. They have rules but the rules don't apply to every situation (such as transgendered or crossdressers). The agents are left to decide some things on their own and these folks are people who were not at the top of their graduating class.

    The easiest thing to do is suck it up and dress how you are expected to dress. You can change when you get off the plane.
    Last edited by Krisi; 10-14-2014 at 06:44 AM.

  10. #10
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    Hello Krisi,

    The intent of my post was to find out if anyone has had issues boarding flights in Canada not so much who agrees with the regulations or not. However, I do thank you for your response even though I don't agree with the premise of it

    Yes you are right . . . I suppose I could just "suck it up" and dress how I am expected to dress and change when I get off the plane. However that is not really the point is it now? What next . . . perhaps you will be required to ensure your photo documentation matches your presentation should the local police pull you over (all in the name of safety of course) or should you just simply be asked for it by police on a random check. So I guess we should just "suck it up" and dress as expected by narrow minded people and never present in public again? Just saying . . . the "just suck it up approach never works" when it comes to rights and freedoms.

    Hugs

    Isha
    Last edited by Marcelle; 10-14-2014 at 07:13 AM.

  11. #11
    TrueNorth Strong & Fierce Princess Chantal's Avatar
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    Thanks for the comments like "blame it on the terrorists" and "homeland security", I really needed a chuckle this morning! It is discrimination based and stubborness to accept alternative lifestyles.

  12. #12
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    Sometimes Miss,

    Not hacking on your post but you and others are missing the point IMHO. Of course I can fly as a "guy, dude, bloke, man" whatever. What we are talking about is a curtail of fundamental rights and something I feel very strongly about. I have spent 32 years defending this country and to be potentially denied basic mobility rights because of the way I choose to express my gender . . . well kind of makes that whole "defence of democracy thing" a moot point. So I choose not to ignore but push the point. If I get bumped then so be it . . . next stop will be to make the country aware of it. Will anyone care what one disgruntle CDer has to say? Probably not. But if I can make one person go "hmm that seems a bit unfair" then I will feel somewhat vindicated. When I signed on to defend my country, it was not just against external threats but also internal threats and those include the erosion of fundamental rights of all Canadians including the Trans community.

    Will get off my soapbox now as that was not the intent of this post.

    Hugs

    Isha

  13. #13
    GG ReineD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Isha View Post
    "you are presenting as a woman and your ID says male . . . no flight for you"
    Isha, the regulations say nothing about how a person presents (which I take to mean clothing choices). The wording is, "(c) the passenger does not appear to be of the gender indicated on the identification he or she presents;"

    I'll get back to my earlier point. If a TS has not yet legally changed her gender marker from M to F but she has had FFS and HRT, and her features have changed considerably since her last passport picture, could she not have a new picture taken? If the passenger looks like her picture, then what would be the issue? Presumably such a person would also be in transition, and it would not be difficult to carry a letter as is directed in Item 5.2(2), until such time as her gender marker is changed?

    In the case of someone whose features have not changed and the difference in presentation is only a wig, forms, and clothing, then I do not see how an employee or their supervisor can make a judgment on the hair and clothing, especially if the passenger is visibly male and pulls the hair back to reveal a face that looks like the passport picture.

    When I buy a ticket online, they always ask my gender. It's not on the ticket but it's in their database.

    I agree though, the law is poorly worded. I hope they are working on improving it.
    Reine

  14. #14
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    Update 1

    Hi all,

    A bit of an update as finding any information (definitive in nature that is) on this subject is like spotting a Leprechaun chasing a Sasquatch while riding a Unicorn.

    I finally got through to CSTSA agent to discuss my experience at the Airport with the two DBs. He informed me that they (CSTSA) agents do not verify identity only the boarding pass and the security of the carry on luggage so the issue does not lie with CSTSA and he also indicated that the two who were rude will be sanctioned accordingly (whatever that means) as they had no right to speak to such policy. He further indicated that it is up to the Airline Boarding Gate personnel to verify identity and to his knowledge no TG persons have been prevented from flying but then again he was not sure if any had either. His understanding is that if you can be discerned from your ID (facial feature recognition) then there should not be a problem however as far as he knows, there is no guidance given to Airline personnel on making that call.

    My next call was to Air Canada . . . what a joy that was. I talked to several people and asked about their TG policy and identity screening and nobody could answer my question directly as they were not sure. One person was not aware of any identity restrictions, one person suggested that I just save myself some hassle and fly male, another said it should not be a problem so long as I don't look too pretty but look more like a guy (WTF ) and the most disturbing response was . . . "well it is left up to the individual boarding gate agent. If he/she doesn't believe that is you in your ID then they have the right to deny you boarding" So I asked if push came to shove and I removed my wig so they could get a better look at my face would that suffice? The response . . . "It really depends on the agent. If he/she believes that you are trying to conceal your identity by dressing as a woman it is their call. You have the right to complain and seek a second opinion but it is unlikely they will override the initial call and you will be asked to leave." He added that it is not only about the gender you present but how you appear in comparison to the photo ID. He recommended be up front at check in, indicate you are TG and things should be okay as he has never heard of any TG persons being denied boarding a flight based on incongruent ID but then again he could not speak to every case.

    Reine,

    I asked the agent I talked to about what information is given to employees about what "gender" means. His was response was very telling on how they are applying the term "gender" . . . "Well if you look like a woman and your travel document says "male" then you do not match the gender on your travel documents and this can be an area of concern." I then asked him how does the agent determine if I "look like" a woman. His reply . . . "Well if have longer hair, are wearing women's clothing, make-up and you know look like other women then that is a cause for concern and may be questioned". So, it is easy to see that agents especially in the absence of policy will confuse "look" with "gender". Added to confusion is the other part of the identity screening policy:

    5.2 (1) An air carrier shall not transport a passenger if:

    (a) the passenger presents a piece of photo identification and does not resemble the photograph;

    While I may resemble my boy self when I am presenting as Isha (kind of like a better looking sister ) It is still the boarding gate agent's call in that no guidelines exist for them to go by. So, they are free to interpret the regulation as they wish. If the agent feels I am trying to disguise myself he/she can deny me boarding regardless of whether I take off my wig, remove make-up and strip down to my underwear to prove I am 100% guy. This is just a agent doing due diligence with no other hidden agenda. Now what happens when I go up against an agent whose personal belief about TG persons is that we are an abomination, perverts, creeps and degenerates . . . these people do exist and the balance of probabilities would indicate that some are employed as Air Canada personnel. This same person doesn't have to be overtly discriminative in order to discriminate against us based on personal belief. He/she only need look at my ID, smile and say "Sorry ma'am, but I cannot let you board as your ID picture looks nothing like you. Have a nice day." Oh, I could indicate I am willing to remove my wig (nice embarrassing moment for any TG person) and he/she cans still say "Sorry, for the safety of the plane, I cannot let you board". If I continue to argue I am more likely to find myself flanked by two RCMP Officers being escorted from the airport for being a disturbance.

    So in the absence of information (more like disinformation) I have decided to travel as Isha. My plan is to arrive at the airport, present my travel documents and declare myself TG and see what happens. Now the annoying part is that in the absence of clear Air Canada policy to its employees, I will have to go through this each time I board a connecting flight. So it is plausible that I might make it through Ottawa, Toronto only to get denied boarding in Calgary prior to my last flight to Vancouver and even then I could be denied boarding for my flight to Victoria.

    Ah . . . now don't you feel safer knowing that crazy fundamentalist TG persons can be kicked from a flight at the whim and fancy of one person's definition of what gender means or how you present.

    I'll let you know how it goes . . . keeping my fingers crossed.

    Hugs

    Isha
    Last edited by Marcelle; 10-15-2014 at 05:17 AM.

  15. #15
    Martini Girl Katey888's Avatar
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    Yes, I'm know I'm not Canadian and I think Reine has closed off the 'Those Who May Know' aspect, but I have spent quite a few years working with the security services here in the UK including the period of the 2005 London bombings.

    Isha, I feel bad for you that you have been made to feel the way you have as rudeness and lack of tact is simply inexcusable, from any public service employee, and I hope they get a sound, metaphorical thrashing for it! I think the legal enforceability of the law is questionable and although the rationale (of preventing someone disguised as someone they are not) seems sound, I don't believe any terrorist acts are carried out by perps disguised in a Mission Impossible-esque way... however, the civilian security services have a serious job to do and the ramifications of them allowing a perp through screening are just too horrible and nightmarish to consider. I do believe it is better that a few innocent people are inconvenienced versus 200 innocent people meeting a fiery end...

    It is a reduction of our freedom, but it's one of those compromises that we make in order to be part of a broad society that curtails some freedoms in order to safeguard others. Travelling to Germany on vacs through Heathrow a few years back I was pulled to one side at security because I had forgotten that my mini-Leatherman was in the coin pocket of my jeans... I had the full grilling over a 1" pair of scissors and a tiny blade and was doubly embarrassed because at the time I was working with the Met Police who provide the police presence at the airport, although I think that fact helped reduce the lecture a little... my point being, I think the restriction on small sharps is totally absurd when you can buy much more effective weapons in the duty free shops at any major airport - but we have to go along with some arbitrary measures - and keeping it clear about proving identity is probably one of those areas.

    The rudeness and approach is inexcusable - I think the need to both prove and validate identity is a genuine one, although you'd think that either finger-vein or iris recognition would be better, more sophisticated, non-subjective and non-gender related ways to go about it... perhaps you could suggest that as part of your complaint?

    Katey x
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    Rinse and curl your hair - Loosen your hips, and get a dress to wear"
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    I'm guessing it is some sort of homeland security law as otherwise usually anti discrimination law trumps most other laws as it is generally associated with international treaties.

    I would be seeking clarification. And as much as I am not a fan of discrimination if the advise was legally correct then I would be cautious about travelling femme as I doubt you really want to be arrested under any sort of security law. It would certainly be something though I think I would be bringing up before the Anti-discrimination commissioner or other similar authority.

  17. #17
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    Hi all,

    No issues with people's belief's about safety and we are all entitled. However, I would like to bring this thread back on point if possible and ask if any Canadian members have recently travelled "en femme" (well since 2012 when the regulation went into force) and what was their experience (good or bad).

    Hugs

    Isha

  18. #18
    Aspiring drama queen Isabella Ross's Avatar
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    Isha, I have not...and I apologize for my part in trending away from your original question. Heck, I'm nervous stepping out on my back deck, let alone into an airport. I did want to concede that it can be a slippery slope from maintaining security to erosion of personal rights and freedoms.
    Last edited by Katey888; 10-14-2014 at 04:40 PM. Reason: Need to keep away from the politics please... :)

  19. #19
    Gold Member Read only Rachael Leigh's Avatar
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    Does sound a little strange to me for sure I mean if you have all the legal docs that prove who you are who cares how your dressed. I mean just come thru Mexico Isha, doesn't seem like they care at all who comes thru that border lol.

  20. #20
    Seasoned Member Rhonda Darling's Avatar
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    Isha:

    A very sad state of affairs. This is probably worth speaking to a Canada based trans-rights organization for some competent advice as to how this has played out in real life for CD/TG/TS ladies. The law seems vague, so check with the CATSA office to see if there are post orders or other written guidance for the officers at checkpoints.

    For reference, this is the link to the USA's TSA site about transgendered travelers:
    http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-informat...nder-travelers.

    Good luck and please keep us posted on your findings.

    Best regards,
    Rhonda
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    Be all the woman that you can be!
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  21. #21
    I accept myself as is Gillian Gigs's Avatar
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    I am never ashamed to be a Canadian, if anyone is to blame, blame the terrorist groups that are destroying our freedoms, so we may be kept safe, from them!Border security is a very serious business, not flying enfemme is a small price to pay to help keep out those who would bring harm into our respective countries. It is sad that there are individuals who would not show respect to anyone, regardless of the reason, and well done that they should be reported. To bring this into prospective we need to remember that people will willingly give up freedoms to be kept safe, which isn't right, but still a reality. If we want safety, then we all have a price to pay, whether we like it or not.
    I like myself, regardless of the packaging that I may come in! It's what is on the inside of the package that counts!

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gillian Gigs View Post
    I am never ashamed to be a Canadian, if anyone is to blame, blame the terrorist groups that are destroying our freedoms, so we may be kept safe, from them!Border security is a very serious business, not flying enfemme is a small price to pay to help keep out those who would bring harm into our respective countries. It is sad that there are individuals who would not show respect to anyone, regardless of the reason, and well done that they should be reported. To bring this into prospective we need to remember that people will willingly give up freedoms to be kept safe, which isn't right, but still a reality. If we want safety, then we all have a price to pay, whether we like it or not.
    Yeah, they sure never explained it to Isha like this did they? They need some sensitivity training and back up plans when situations like this occur.

  23. #23
    Swans have more fun! sandra-leigh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gillian Gigs View Post
    not flying enfemme is a small price to pay to help keep out those who would bring harm into our respective countries.
    Are you volunteering to pay for my gender therapy and my HRT medications and my electrolysis? Considering that you feel they are only a "small price" ?

    Thought experiment: recall the last time you flew. Now how much did it matter to you whether the person two rows away was "really" male or "really" female as they appeared to be? Would you have prepared different mental emergency plans if you knew that their chromosomes were not what they had first glanced appeared? But you wouldn't have worried about whether the femme-looking XX woman had been taking testosterone and working out and had only put on a femme appearance today because they worried about being refused the flight if their appearance (normally more male-ish) did not match their not-yet-changed legal gender? The dignified short 98 pound young woman, would you have taken more safety measures if he had been forced to put on his man-costume and so look like a miserable "98 pound weakling" ?

    What a person wears on the flight is not the real issue for "terror". Whether a proper upper limit on a person's dangerousness has been judged is more important. There is, however, no screening for strength or fighting skills or ability to manipulate mobs or the like.

    Have you paid attention to why flights have early landings due to passenger behavior? Drunks, mostly. Belligerent refusal to remove something that is interfering with adjustment of the seats. Making a big fuss because the tea is not warm enough. Panicking because they notice that a fellow passenger is calmly reading Arabic-language news sites (yes, they yanked the reader off of the flight, questioned him, and sent him onward when it became obvious that he was never any threat.) Did I mention the panic over a couple of passengers talking Arabic to each other?

    Surely it would be a small price to pay if passengers were prohibited from reading, talking, playing games, listening to music, communicating through sign language, or anything else that could potentially be used to... ummm, coordinate attacks? Discuss targets? Well, we'll work out that part out later, better to be safe, right? Hey you, stop that coughing! And you, don't scratch yourself !!

  24. #24
    Gone to live my life
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    6,552

    Update 2

    Hi all,

    I just received a long winded e-mail from Air Canada's Customer Service regarding my follow-up query. For the most part is was a cut and paste of the Transport Canada ruling and changes to the security screening but this is the part that hit home and effectively ended my trip "en femme" that is.

    In order to comply with both governmental regulations, and security requirements, it is in your best interest to travel in the gender in which your identification is issued in.
    We look forward to welcoming you onboard for travel.
    Best Regards,


    I did send a follow-up e-mail and asked does this mean I can or cannot and the response was that they (Air Canada) cannot guarantee the right to board at any stage of the journey as that is up to the individual boarding agent. So in other words . . . if you are Transgender and wish to fly on Air Canada you are taking a risk that you can be ejected from your trip at any connecting gate. So unless your passport says "F" you are welcome to try with the "M" moniker but it is a flip of the coin . . . funny considering they "Look forward to welcoming me onboard for travel" . . . well so long as I am dressed like a dude so as not to upset their sensibilities.

    So this gal has taken her TG banner as far as it can go as I need to travel for business and getting ejected from a flight would not be welcome at work. I will however pass this to my Member of Parliament . . . not that I am expecting anything as she is a Conservative and her government put these rules in effect.

    Hugs and sorry I could not strike a victory for the greater good of the community.

    Isha
    Last edited by Marcelle; 10-15-2014 at 12:13 PM.

  25. #25
    Banned Read only
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    13,082
    Isha, Not the right outcome but an expected one ! Sorry about your plans ! Is there much choice of other Airlines across Canada ? Might be interesting to see what their policy is !

    I still wish you a good trip !

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