For some reason, I just now received this article in my feed. I have been following you a long time, but the new Medium algorithms seem to have removed you from my notifications for the most part. To take a somewhat contrarian position to the experience described in your article, I think that sometimes we see demons where none really exist. I fly often. My dear friend, Jen, and I flew north from Florida this past week. I was taken aside for a pat down. She was not. At the moment I am the more passable of the two of us, though she is the cuter one. If trans people were being singled out, one would expect her to be the one under scrutiny, not me.
Before I transitioned, occasionally I would be taken aside and given a pat down either in public or private. I really didn’t care which. This has continued even though I have had a KTN for over 10 years and no longer have to remove my shoes or belt. Presumably I am not considered a security risk. I have not noticed much difference in treatment between when I was an apparent cis male and now as a passable trans woman. The only distinction between the two experiences has been in who does the pat down. Before it was always men. Now it is always women. There is no discussion and no request is made of me as to which I would prefer. Having been on both sides, my sense is I’m being treated the same as I always have.
As an older white person, I am hardly a threat to be a terrorist. The sense I have is that I am pulled aside periodically in an attempt to keep the screening process fair. I remember well the days when the Islamic community rightfully complained that they were being targeted and singled out. I have always considered the times I have been taken aside as an attempt to keep the process neutral to avoid accusations of bias. Is it inconvenient? In a minor sort of way I suppose. I don’t think about it much anymore. I have bigger fish to fry. The toxic politics, and the hateful attitudes of too many on social media are a much bigger problem. I try to conserve my energy to deal with the real threats to the existence of the LGBTQ and trans communities. Making a to do about such things as screening at airport security seems a wasted effort to me.
I am sure that there are agents who target LGBTQ and trans people for special treatment as a subtle form of harassment. There are bad apples among any professional group. But I have little sense that I am being singled out, and I arguably have a bull’s-eye painted on my back. In some ways, I take pride in being scrutinized and then allowed to proceed on my way without further comment.
I very much admire your political activism. You understand so well the necessity of constantly being vigilant and working to push back against the regressive bigoted attitudes enveloping the country at the moment. People such as yourself on the front lines are so important. I try to do the same to the extent I am able. I work behind the scenes with monetary support, writing legislators, signing petitions, and supporting progressive candidates. It takes all of us to overcome the wave of hate emanating from the far right. Together, we can create a better future so long as we keep trying. The tide of history is on our side. Keep up the good work.
