Travel & Airport Security

All travelers deserve to be treated with respect. Many Americans have been disturbed by decisions of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) to implement airport screening procedures that are far more intrusive than anything previously seen in the United States. These techniques—which often include aggressive body searches of passengers—present especially serious concerns for transgender people, who can be outed against their will or face bias and harassment. These screening procedures can be especially traumatic for transgender children. As shown in the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, forty-three percent (43%) of those who went through airport security in the prior year experienced at least one problem related to their gender identity or expression.

A4TE continues to hear troubling stories from transgender travelers about their treatment by TSA, as well as by officials at U.S. border crossings. A4TE continues to work with TSA to promote better staff training, respond to individual complaints, and educate the trans traveling public.