TSA Changing System That Flags Transgender People as Threats for 'Gender X'
Antony Blinken called the new gender definition a move that is "respectful of individuals' privacy while advancing inclusion" in a statement.
The new "gender X" option will be available starting on April 11.Meanwhile, the TSA will update its imaging body scanners with new technology that will reduce false alarm rates and pat-downs for travelers, per a White House fact sheet.Previously, the TSA's policy at airports for transgender passengers stated agency officers would press a button "designating a gender (male/female) based on how you present yourself." Next, a machine would conduct a scan of the traveler that "indicates areas on the body warranting further inspection if necessary."The current system caused some "false positives" at security checkpoints, according to critics.
Last year, a North Carolina woman sued the TSA, claiming her transgender teenager was ordered in 2019 to undergo a strip search after a "false positive" was flagged at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the Associated Press reported.
The mother said her transgender daughter, who was 15 years old at the time, was told she would be subjected to having her genitals inspected in a private room before she could travel.According to the White House's fact sheet, the TSA's new technology will replace "the current, gender-based system" in order to "improve the customer experience of transgender travelers who have previously been required to undergo additional screening due to alarms in sensitive areas."This is a breaking story and will be updated.
