The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced new standards for screening transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming passengers at airport checkpoints nationwide.
Arriving on Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31), the announced changes will include the improvement of the Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) units in airport checkpoints across the country.
The agency said that it's working with the manufacturer on an algorithm update that increases accuracy and efficiency to replace the current gender-based AIT system and reduce the number of invasive pat-down screenings to enhance the experience for passengers required to undergo additional screening due to alarms in sensitive areas.
TSA has received as much as $18.6 million in funding to complete the development, testing and deployment of the algorithm updates nationwide and plans to introduce it at airports later this year.
The agency is also updating its expedited TSA PreCheck program to include an "X" gender marker option on its application. Starting in April, TSA will allow TSA PreCheck enrollees to select their gender based on self-attestation, regardless of the gender on the person's ID or passport.
"On this internationally recognized day for the transgender community, TSA is proud to announce significant initiatives as a direct result of close partnership with community stakeholders," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. "Over the coming months, TSA will move swiftly to implement more secure and efficient screening processes that are gender-neutral, as well as technological updates that will enhance security and make TSA PreCheck enrollment more inclusive. These combined efforts will greatly enhance airport security and screening procedures for all."
In February, the agency updated its checkpoint protocols to remove gender considerations when validating a traveler's ID. Currently, when travelers appear at the travel document checker podium for identity verification, gender information is irrelevant in determining that a traveler may proceed into the screening area.
Additionally, TSA has updated its Transgender, Nonbinary and Gender Nonconforming Passengers web page and plans to update its TSA Cares web page. To change their gender status, current TSA PreCheck members can call (855) 347-8371 on weekdays, between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET.
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