Roughly 12 million people fly each day, ranging from short business commutes to long-distance journeys. After aerial terrorism, largely stemming from 9/11, air travel requires intensive mandatory screening. Each country has unique screening guidelines; here is the most pertinent information for individuals who are transgender and encounter TSA.
CONTENT WARNING: This post discusses airport security and a personal account of TSA transphobic harassment, forced strip searches, and mistreatment. Reader discretion advised.
What is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA?)
While TSA is an American agency, all countries enforce similar mandatory screenings. Most countries require screening upon entry into an airport for all departing flights and for international arrivals.
How Effective Is TSA Screening?
Compared to other US agencies, TSA is relatively young, and its detection rate makes it fairly controversial. Experts state that TSA screening is largely “security theater” to comfort travelers and deter some criminals.
Standard TSA Procedures (What Everyone Goes Through)
The following procedures are universal to all TSA screenings unless you participate in PreCheck or CLEAR+ (more on those later).
Secure Flight Prescreening and Watchlists
Before you ever arrive at the airport, TSA engages in Secure Flight that ranks passengers’ “risk level” based on names and watchlists.
The Privacy Impact Assessment and System of Records Notice state that personal information collection is supposedly minimized, but the main purpose of the Secure Flight prescreening procedure is to block folks on either the No Fly List or individuals marked “Do Not Board” via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The majority of checked luggage is screened without conducting a physical bag search, directing the luggage onward to your planned airline. If TSA does conduct a physical bag search, a notice will be placed inside your bag. Luggage lost or damaged during screening can be filed with TSA directly, although luggage lost or damaged during transport is filed via your airline.
Don’t have checked luggage? Continue on to your nearest TSA checkpoint – unless you need to check in with your airline for a physical boarding pass.
Can I lock my checked baggage? Yes, although it won’t really matter regarding TSA. TSA officers use universal master keys certified with Safe Skies Luggage and Travel Sentry to unlock commercially available locks for physical bag inspections.
Carry-on luggage refers to bags that are taken with you on the plane, in contrast with checked baggage, which is stored on the plane separately from passengers. Personal baggage falls under the same screening procedures as carry-on; the only difference between carry-on and personal luggage is size.
REAL ID is fully in effect.The law was passed some time ago, but TSA will now fine all passengers who do not have REAL ID-level certification and will not let you pass until certification is presented or the fine is paid. Passports and certain other documents hold the same validity as REAL ID, so if you have a passport, you do NOT need REAL ID.
Afterwards, you will proceed to a scanning queue. All carry-on luggage must be placed on the conveyor belt to be screened by a TSA officer.
TSA requires all electronic devices be taken out of luggage and into a separate bin for screening. This includes laptops, monitors, tablets, e-readers, and handheld game consoles. Non-American airports may not require electronic devices to be removed from baggage.
Shoes must be removed, although you can keep your socks on. Shoes will also be placed in a bin for screening, as well as any belts, jackets, watches, etc. Leave nothing in your pockets. Most other countries do not require shoes to be removed unless you have steel-toe boots that will trigger the sensors.
Most food, especially packaged items and fruit, is allowed in carry-on luggage. Liquids, gels, aerosols, baby food, and breast milk have additional requirements.
All liquids and gels must comply with the 3-1-1 rule unless they qualify for exemption.
The 3-1-1 rule refers to how each passenger is allowed ONE quart-sized bag for carry-on liquids and gels.
All items must fit inside a ONE QUART bag.
All items must be 3.4 ounces (hence the three) or 100 milliliters.
Any non-exempt items that do not comply with this rule must be checked luggage. Two exemption categories bypass the 3-1-1 and 100 milliliter restriction.
Prescription medication is allowed in any amount, including if it is in a liquid, gel, or aerosol form. However, you MUST have prescriptions for all medication, have all medication in its original packaging, and have a reasonable amount of your trip.
Breast milk, baby formula/food, and toddler drinks are classified as medically necessary by the TSA and allowed in any amount. These items will be screened separately to detect potential drugs, explosives, and harms.
In practice, I have never seen TSA actually require a quart-sized bag. It’s used as a comparison tool to help passengers visualize how many 100 ml items they are allowed to bring. However, other counties do actually care and require liquids and gels be placed in a ziplock bag during screening.
Proceed through the scanner. Your carry-on luggage will be screened separately while your body is scanned by an agent. Any flagged luggage will be pulled aside for screening by TSA.
Don’t know what should go in checked, carry-on, or left at home? Here is the full TSA list, which can be searched and sorted into categories.
TSA Body Scanners and Transgender Travelers
The United States uses Leidos body scanners (or any machine labeled as “Advanced Imaging Technology”) as well as metal detectors. Assume you will be scanned by a AIT machine unless you have PreCheck or CLEAR+, since those are standard.
How AIT Body Scanners Work
AIT machines scan the entire body, bouncing a signal on every inch of the body in the tube to detect “anomalies.” As far as we know, the scanning technology is safe, albeit invasive. AIT scanners are NOT transgender-friendly and detect transgender bodies as anomalies.
There are concerns about data privacy and AIT scanning since the machines keep a small record of what your body looks like.
The official statement is that this data is eventually deleted, although it is a valid concern in a world hostile to transgender lives. The only reason we put up with it is that we have been trained to accept a lack of privacy for security theater.
Why TSA Scanners Are Gendered
This occurs because AIT scans are gendered into a male and female binary. When you approach the machine, a TSA agent quickly and silently assigns you a male or female scan. The machine is hypervigilant and flags anything “out of the ordinary,” flagging mundane things like paper left in your pocket. All anomalies will be covered with a yellow or red box on the imaging screen to indicate the flagged region.
AIT will flag packing prosthetics, lack of penis, presence of unforeseen penis, and binders. It doesn’t matter if you pack, bind, or tuck; there is a fairly high chance you will be flagged.
Being flagged does not mean you did anything wrong. Remember: AIT machines specifically do not know how to handle transgender bodies, and it is a flaw in the current system.
In my experience, metal detectors cause no issues. Assuming you have put all metal items in the conveyor bin for separate scanning, you’ll pass through every time without issue. Outside of the United States, metal detector scanners are the norm rather than invasive screens like AIT.
You’ve Been Flagged. What Happens Next?
If your body is flagged by an AIT machine, you will be required to undergo a pat-down by a TSA agent.
The Department of Homeland Security provides TSA the authority to conduct pat-downs as the next step in screening.
Pat-downs are meant to be less invasive and typically take less than 60 seconds, where an agent uses the back of their hands to apply minor pressure over clothing to detect hidden items. TSA agents have the authority to require the following:
Agents are allowed to require clothing to be adjusted.
Agents are allowed to require head coverings or pieces be removed. If the covering is religious, see the following section for additional rights.
Agents are allowed to conduct a pat-down across the entire body, including the groin, buttocks, and head.
Agents are allowed to force you to adjust your stance, typically with your feet apart and arms raised. If you have a disability or struggle to raise your arms, see the next section.
Agents are allowed to conduct more than one pass for their pat-down.
Your Rights During a Pat-Down
Not all TSA officers follow the rules and may not be committed to creating a safe environment. The Department of Homeland Security states that all passengers have the following rights:
You are entitled to request a specific gender to pat you down, regardless of gender identity or expression.
You are entitled to have a witness present, including if you are taken for a private screening.
You are entitled to be moved to a private area if a public pat-down makes you uncomfortable.
You are entitled to have the TSA agent change their gloves before screening.
You are entitled to inform TSA agents of medical devices you may be wearing, areas that are painful to touch, or if you have difficulty raising your arms.
You are entitled to have flagged luggage screened privately rather than in the public queue.
You are entitled to remove any religious head covering yourself, pat it down, and have it tested for residue rather than having a TSA agent directly remove the covering.
You are entitled to ask for a supervisor if you are uncomfortable or if a TSA agent’s conduct seems inappropriate.
Have a question about TSA procedures? TSA can be contacted via the Cares Hotline at 1–787-2227 or the TSA Contact Center at 1-66-289-9673.
As a transgender man, I genuinely cannot say whether it is better to pack or forgo it during screening. I’ve been told both are the “correct” procedure because it seems TSA doesn’t have uniform guidance they’re trained on.
I took my first flight in 2022 to Mexico, departing from Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Immediately before me, I had seen a disabled person in a wheelchair be harassed by the TSA, requiring them to stand to screen. Based on the circumstance and my inexperience, I chose to be proactive and told the TSA agents prior to entering the Leidos machine that I was transgender and likely to flag, since I was unsure if my packer prosthetic would cause issues. The agents called over their supervisor and had a conundrum they didn’t know how to resolve, eventually having me pass through the metal detector and undergo a pat-down. Afterwards, the TSA agents reprimanded me for wasting their time and stated that next time I should walk through the Leidos machine without giving notice.
Later that same year, I took another flight to New York City, also out of O’Hare. Based on my past experience, I entered the Leidos machine with the same packer I had previously and did not notify the TSA agent beforehand. The scan presented a red flag over my crotch.
This TSA agent gave me a quick pat-down and decided he did not like the size of my packer (which was a 5-inch Freetom), stating I required private screening. I asked why and explained the flag was due to my packing prosthetic since I am transgender, but TSA agents always assume that every flag must be treated as a worst-case scenario. The agent escalated, stating my lack of willingness meant he would likely call the police to arrest me unless he was “gracious” enough to change his mind. My friend had already passed through the screening, so I was alone. I followed the agent to a private room, where he pulled aside another male agent to be his witness.
Upon entering the room, the agents stated I had to strip naked and emphasized that any lack of consent meant they would be calling the police. Since I couldn’t think of any other options, I complied and stripped down to nothing but the thin towel they handed me. I handed them my packer. Both of the agents snickered, one of them elbowing the other while mumbling under his breath.
They both were baffled by the prosthetic and claimed they had no idea what it was, despite my trying to explain beforehand. The older agent took a cotton swab to the packer and left to analyze it while the other agent stated I had to wait, standing with nothing but the towel, in essentially a two-square-foot closet. After an agonizing fifteen minutes, the agent returned with a negative result. Both of the agents were visibly disappointed, but then took to quickly commanding me to get dressed and leave immediately.
In the end, I didn’t miss my flight – but I did develop a fear of TSA from the encounter. At the time, I was doing exactly what a previous TSA agent had directed me to – but TSA’s transgender guidance isn’t uniform, and there are always bad actors who use scare tactics to harm others.
I have had fewer personal issues binding while screening, although it has been a while since I’ve had top surgery. The chance your chest will be flagged correlates to the size of your chest, so larger chests are likely to be flagged regardless of compression. Smaller chests are likely to pass through with excellent binding compression without being flagged.
Does TSA engage in racial profiling? There have been thousands of jokes made about TSA’s “random” screenings, where agents require travelers to undergo more intensive screenings even if they did not flag any alarms.
Officially, TSA prohibits racial profiling and states that agents are not allowed to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability. Unofficially, TSA agents are given too much freedom to “randomly” search anyone they want.
If your luggage is flagged by the conveyor scanner, it is pulled to a separate belt and must be manually verified by TSA. They’ll open the luggage and look for the item in question to determine whether it’s allowed through.
As mentioned previously, medical prescriptions are always allowed in carry-on luggage in any quantity as long as it is a reasonable amount for your travel. Always make sure your medication has its prescription label and is in its original packaging. The name on your medication must match your identification. The same applies to needles, syringes, and sharps.
If you inject medication, some folks use specific bags or kits to transport their prescriptions. They aren’t required, but are good accessories and increase stealth while traveling.
If you are worried about your medication being allowed, you can also bring a signed letter from your prescribing provider to present to TSA. As an American engaging with TSA, I’ve never had issues requiring this, but have done so when taking large quantities traveling abroad.
Always keep prescription medication in carry-on luggage. Checked luggage sometimes gets damaged and lost, and you may not be able to get a refill upon arrival. Furthermore, checked luggage is kept in storage that gets extremely cold; medications like injectable or transdermal hormones must be kept at a relatively consistent temperature to stay viable.
Once you have completed body and carry-on luggage screening, you’re done. Put your shoes back on and proceed with your luggage to your assigned flight gate.
After your initial screening, you will not have to undergo it again upon arriving at your destination IF it is domestic. Similarly, domestic layovers will not require additional screening.
However, international layovers may require you to be screened again during layovers, depending on the country. The vast majority of the world uses regular metal detectors, so it’ll be quick and relatively painless. You will also have to be screened upon arrival at any international destination as part of the customs and immigration process.
TSA Alternatives: Are They Worth It?
There are several official programs allow travelers to bypass the traditional AIT screening procedure, but they aren’t interchangeable. PreCheck and CLEAR+ are two of the most common Trusted Traveler Programs.
TSA PreCheck costs approximately $80 for a five-year plan and gives you access to a separate screening lane where electronics are kept in carry-on luggage, you keep your shoes, jackets, and belts on, and you go through a simple metal detector. PreCheck also requires background checks and interview appointments to become eligible.
CLEAR+ costs $200 every year and uses biometric data (such as an iris or fingerprint scan) to quickly verify your identity rather than forcing you to use the document queue – which is what takes the longest when screening. You’ll be taken directly to a screening machine. However, CLEAR+ users may still use an AIT machine.
TSA PreCheck is available at over 200 United States airports, while CLEAR+ operates at about 50. Not all airports that have PreCheck have CLEAR+, and not all airports that have CLEAR+ may offer PreCheck – which is why our fantastic consumer market advises travelers to purchase plans for both programs.
If you have money to spend and travel frequently, PreCheck is useful for transgender travelers since it will allow you to avoid “advanced” AIT screening. But again, it’s not cheap nor easy to register for.
Passenger Support Specialist (PSS) Program
Anyone is allowed to request services from the Passenger Support Specialist Program. PSS is staffed with TSA agents who undergo additional training to better assist travelers with specific needs.
PSS is free to use, but it requires booking in advance. PSS must be contacted at least 72 hours before your flight via TSA Cares.
Grounding, Emotional Safety, and Post-Screening Care
Before any trip and engaging with airport security, take time to take care of yourself. Be aware of your physical and emotional needs, checking in throughout the process to remind yourself of your limits.
Prep grounding techniques as part of your travel checklist. This could be downloading a self-care app like Finch, writing down mantras and emergency contacts, or learning specific breathing techniques.
All transgender people are important and worthy of dignity. Airport screening can be traumatic for all travelers, but it’s disproportionately unfair to transgender individuals.
