New TSA Procedures Could Negatively Impact Transgender Travelers
August 14, 2009 5:23PM
Michael Cole
Tomorrow, the Transportation Security Administration will implement Secure Flight, a program designed, according to TSA, to “streamline the [terrorist] watch list matching process” by requiring all passengers to provide their gender and date of birth when they book a ticket. Unfortunately, the potential impact on transgender travelers – whose identity documents often don’t match their gender expression -was almost certainly not part of TSA’s considerations when the program was developed. At least one article makes it clear that they still aren’t thinking about the additional problems it may create for the transgender community.
Among HRC’s recommendations to the Obama-Biden transition team last November was to take a critical look at the Bush-era Secure Flight regulations [pdf] and ensure that they are changed, or at least implemented as to avoid placing transgender travelers at a higher risk of discrimination. As Secure Flight goes into effect across the country this weekend, we will continue to push the Department of Homeland Security and TSA to ensure that Secure Flight, and the many other rules and regulations designed to protect all Americans, are not used to harass and demean members of the LGBT community.
Thanks to HRC Senior Counsel Brian Moulton and Associate Director of Diversity Allyson Robinson for this post.
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