TSA Experience

[Steph70kk]

I was flying last week from Seattle airport, wearing women's jeggings, a long hoodie, sneakers and very light make up. I wasn't trying to pass (not even close), but at the security check, the TSA agent asked me (I think) if I was presenting as a man or a woman. I was really surprised by the binary question, so I answered "neither, I'm in between". He then repeated the question looking at his female colleague, and then I simply answered "Male" and that he could search me (I think the scanner detected my padded bra).

He remained very professional, but I'm wondering why I had to make such a binary choice? Why can't I be 'something else'

[Rachael Leigh]

My guess would be to not be called on for any kind of sexual misconduct. As you know everyone one is on guard as to not
be accused of some type of harassment.

[Stephanie47]

I think it is rather obvious if you're going through further screening they were trying to afford you as much privacy and courtesy as possible. What kind of genitals does "something else" have?

[Cherylgyno]

Steph. I never went through that situation myself.
I have breasts but keep a bra in my carry on. I go through TSA braless, find the first restroom and put a bra on and redress.

[Jaylyn]

I'm not defending the TSA agent but I bet he was just doing his job. They probably have been informed of the procedure that they have to use. It may be they don't have a question are presenting as a male with makeup and women's undergarments. I can only imagine what they are going thru with so many politically correct questions they can or cannot ask. I'm glad he did remain very professional.

[audreyinalbany]

well yeah, it doesn't seem like an unreasonable question in the context....if you answered 'woman,' he probably would have had a female agent do a pat down. actually seems kind of respectful that he asked

[AllieSF]

Yes, thankfully the TSA agent was doing his job and based on what you said does not know about Non-Binary as being another option. Neither did I until people here started talking about it and had enough support to open up a separate Forum section for it. Give the agent a break and if you have time next time, try to educate them.

[Micki_Finn]

Probably because the TSA doesn’t employ enough “in-betweens” to have them available to to pat downs at every airport at all times. You have to read subtext. He wasn’t asking your gender, he was asking who you’re comfortable receiving a pat down from.

[Teresa]

Steph,
I never understand these questions, these people have a job to do , if they make a mistake it could cost many lives , why mess with them ?

If you wanted to pass as female then maybe you should have done the whole job , you forced him into that decision !

I saw a young girl going through checks at an airport and at some point she joked about carrying a bomb , they didn't mess with her , her feet didn't touch the ground until she was placed in a secure office . I was given a hard time through forgetting about my Swiss Army knife in my camera case , they didn't realise it was a genuine mistake they can't afford to take chances . So what could you have hidden in your bra ? they didn't know they can't afford to let it slip through !

[JenniferMBlack]

I am with Micki here. He was asking who you wanted to pay you down not what you were.

[Jeri Ann]

He remained very professional, but I'm wondering why I had to make such a binary choice? Why can't I be 'something else'

It's simple. TSA does not do non-binary searches. You will be dealt with as a male or a female and they will make sure to get it right.

[TXSara]

I had never though about it, but I guess the TSA has to pick one way or the other for pat downs. After the fact, it seems pretty reasonable -- I'm sure, though, that it was confusing and a bit offensive at the time!

[Rogina B]

From my experiences,presenting female gets a female doing the pat down..I do not care who does "the check" as long as I am on time for my flight !

[Maria 60]

I don't know but I feel as that was a very respectful question, he was making sure the appropriate person served you. Wow I think that's a good thing. Just my opinion

[Rhonda Darling]

OMG, READ THE TSA website about being scanned. Their hi-falootin' scanners look for typical body appendages based on sexual charcteristics of binary bodies, and alarm for anomalies. If there are protruding lobes in the chest area in someone the scanner expects to be male -- alarm. If the scanner detects a proturbence in the crotch area when it is expecting female characteristics -- alarm. Before you enter the scanner, they have to select a male or female button on the console to tell the machine which set of characteristics to look for, and to alarm if something out of place shows up.

If you get searched by hand, they are supposed tp have a female agent do the patdown if you appear outwardly/dressed as female, and a male agent pat you down if your appearance is typically male. If you are in-between or the otherwise are unsure they will ask.

Their system handles 99% of the population w/o the uncertainty. If/when you're crossdressed, you're indeed hiding something as far as they're concerned. They're trained to be polite and professional and you should report otherwise.

I fid if you're pleasant and help them with appropriate cues, you'll get through just fine. YMMV.

[Beverley Sims]

My passport indicates "other".

[abby054]

The TSA agent is an example of a simple bureaucrat, emphasis on simple. TSA regulations require that a person selected for extra screening must be screened by an agent of the gender that the person is presenting. That is exactly how the regulations read. Look it up on their website. The intent of the regulations is to be as sensitive and accommodating as possible on issues that are important to the passenger but have little bearing on security itself. In a bureaucracy, intent and application can diverge, sometime annoyingly, sometimes hilariously. His question may today seem to be insensitive bordering on idiotic but it took a decade of hard work by those who paved our road ahead of us to get the bureaucrats even this far. He probably does not feel any better about having to play this game than we do. He just is not allowed to talk in a language other than government gobbledegook and keep his job.

The TSA agent's regulations required him to assign you to another agent of the gender you were presenting for extra screening, but he did not easily recognize which gender you were presenting from among the two choices specified in his TSA rules. When in doubt, the most reasonable response to the situation is to simply and politely ask. And he did. But he is still a bureaucrat. You can dress him up in a uniform. You can give him a title. You can perfume him and tack shiny metal on his shirt, but he is still a bureaucrat. He asked his question quoting the same mumbo jumbo that the regulations use, as any simple bureaucrat always will. That is why you got that question worded the way it was. What he was really asking in government speak was which agent would you prefer to be screened by, the male or the female.

We have not achieved perfection in our relationship with the TSA yet, obviously. We are probably now at the point where kindness will take us further than battle, though. If we keep up the gentle pressure, things will continue to improve.

[char GG]

After reading the posts about the TSA regulations, how would you have preferred the TSA agent worded the question?

[Helen_Highwater]

It always surprises me that those wearing forms aren't asked to remove them. After all, they could be full of liquid heroine worth thousands.

Returning to the post, while gender is now no longer a binary, the only realistic option for airport security staff is to opt for the standard definition. If they employed "other" staff would that be M2F, F2M, Gay m/f?

Watching Border Security type programmes on the tv it does seem that US TSA staff are some of the most officious to be found. Sensitivity traning seems to be missing. The way a question is asked, the demeanour used, can be as important as the necessity for it as well as eliciting a quicker response from the traveller. Empathy of tone could make the whole process better for all concerned.

[Andrea Chenowith]

After reading the posts about the TSA regulations, how would you have preferred the TSA agent worded the question?

"We need to perform additional screening; are you presenting as a male or a female?"

Simple, but provides the necessary context that was lacking in the first question.

[LeslieSD]

Cut the TSA guy some slack. I think he is just asking that if you should be pad down by a male or female officer.

The passengers are not necessary gender binary, but the TSA officers on duty are usually either male or female. So while you as a passenger does not need to make a binary choice on your gender, but you will be assigned either a male officer or female officer (a binary outcome) based on your answer. The bureaucratic language is just the least offensive way to ask that question politically correctly.

[Brynna M]

Probably because the TSA doesn’t employ enough “in-betweens” to have them available to to pat downs at every airport at all times. You have to read subtext. He wasn’t asking your gender, he was asking who you’re comfortable receiving a pat down from.

One more vote for this interpretation.

[Robertacd]

OMG, READ THE TSA website about being scanned. Their hi-falootin' scanners look for typical body appendages based on sexual charcteristics of binary bodies, and alarm for anomalies. If there are protruding lobes in the chest area in someone the scanner expects to be male -- alarm. If the scanner detects a proturbence in the crotch area when it is expecting female characteristics -- alarm. Before you enter the scanner, they have to select a male or female button on the console to tell the machine which set of characteristics to look for, and to alarm if something out of place shows up.

If you get searched by hand, they are supposed tp have a female agent do the patdown if you appear outwardly/dressed as female, and a male agent pat you down if your appearance is typically male. If you are in-between or the otherwise are unsure they will ask.

Their system handles 99% of the population w/o the uncertainty. If/when you're crossdressed, you're indeed hiding something as far as they're concerned. They're trained to be polite and professional and you should report otherwise.

I fid if you're pleasant and help them with appropriate cues, you'll get through just fine. YMMV.

Thank you Rhonda for your voice of reason.

In my experience the scanners are sensitive enough to pick up the metal clasps of a bra. While traveling under-dressed one time I was pulled aside for a pat down because "There was an alarm on your back". Being otherwise presenting as male a male agent checked by back, after running his hands from the center out on my bra a couple times he said "I can feel something on your back". I looked him straight in the eye and said "I am wearing a bra", he just said "okay" and that was that.

[LindaAnne]

Rhonda is correct about the scanners. While it caught me off-guard last year, it was a fun experience. I was traveling across country on a long flight and decided to underdress on the flight (first time I had underdressed while going through security). As I stood inside the scanner, I could hear it beep and a male TSA person approached me. He asked me to step aside and politely said he needed to "wand" me as something unexpected had shown up on the scanner. I said sure and as he was wanding me I looked over my shoulder at the screen and could see that the metal in my bra had set it off. The wand beeped as it went over my bra and he politely said he needed to pat me down. I headed this off by whispering to him "I'm wearing a bra." Holding my breath, not knowing what his reaction would be, he simply said "that's cool, no problem" and proceeded with his pat down and then said "have a nice flight."

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I think Roberta and I had the same TSA person!