TSA Needs To Change Mindset, Not Policy

We are a progressive society, or so we like to think.

But not really.

The Transportation Security Administration proved that this week when it detained a transgender woman at Orlando International Airport for 40 minutes, saying she had an “anomaly” in her crotch area.

That was a literal detainment, by the way. It wasn’t a situation where the TSA agents asked Shadi Petosky, the transgendered woman, to step aside momentarily. No, the TSA actually put her in another room, threatened her against taking pictures or video, and kept a police officer as guard outside the door.

Why? Because the TSA agents were at odds with each other over how to handle the situation.

So let me get this straight (no pun intended): The TSA has rules and regulations defining how much Crest toothpaste and Cool Water cologne I can pack in a carry-on but it can’t agree on the proper protocol for transgendered passengers?

“The TSA agents were kind of arguing with each other about process,” Petosky told the New York Times.

This is where a body like the TSA needs to change its mindset, not its policy.

There is a policy, of course. Or a guideline. Or … whatever.

Transgender persons should use the name and gender that appears on their government-issued ID when making flight reservations and at the security checkpoint. You may ask that carry-on bags be screened in private if a bag must be opened by a TSA officer to resolve an alarm. Screening can be conducted in a private screening area with a witness or companion. You may request private screening or to speak with a supervisor at any time during the screening process.

Granted, not every person knows the TSA guidelines like the alphabet. Then again, would it have killed the TSA agents to advise Petosky of the guidelines?

And that’s the entire point – they either didn’t know, or couldn’t agree on, the guidelines.

Look, this is a sensitive topic, to be sure. But neither Petosky, nor the situation, is an anomaly. In a statement, a TSA spokesman said: “Our officers are trained to properly screen members of the transgender community. TSA takes all potential civil rights violations very seriously and conducted a review of the incident. After examining closed circuit TV video and other available information, TSA has determined that the evidence shows our officers followed TSA’s strict guidelines. Supervisory personnel and a Passenger Support Specialist participated in the screening to ensure guidelines were met.”

Sorry, but it looks like the guidelines weren’t even known, much less met.

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