A friend of mine had to fly recently, and she looked into TSA PreCheck to speed up her journey home.
It’s a terrific program when you think about it — any opportunity you have to save time at the airport is a worthwhile pursuit. At $85 for five years, PreCheck is a bargain if you fly frequently and don’t want to worry about the “need to remove your shoes, laptops, liquids, belts and light jackets.”
As long as you’re flying out of a participating airport on a participating airline, you’re good to go, provided you haven’t committed “certain violations of federal security regulations” including “refusal to wear a mask in U.S. transportation systems covered by the January 31, 2021 Security Directive and subsequent amendments.” Seriously, that’s the first violation that the TSA mentions on its PreCheck FAQ page.
But there’s one massive problem with the TSA PreCheck program in our woke world. The TSA’s attitude toward our non-binary population is downright passé.
On that same FAQ page, before you can find out that refusing to wear a mask renders you ineligible for PreCheck, you have to endure two questions about gender designations on the sign-up form. Maybe that shouldn’t shock us, but somehow it’s head-shakingly surprising.
But if you’re one of those delightful, awesome non-binary or trans folks that we spent the last month celebrating, you’re out of luck. You have to pick “male” or “female” to sign up for PreCheck.
The first FAQ on the page asks, “Am I required to select the gender that matches the data on my supporting identity documentation?“
The answer? “You can select any gender on the application, even if the gender you select does not match the gender on your supporting documentation (such as birth certificate, passport, or state ID). You can select either ‘M’ or ‘F’ which are the gender options currently available.”
The second question asks, “Can I apply with a non-binary gender identity document on the TSA PreCheck application?“
Don’t worry; it turns out you can. The TSA tells us, “Yes, you may apply for TSA PreCheck utilizing a non-binary gender identity document. However, you must select either ‘M’ or ‘F’ on the TSA PreCheck application, which are the gender options currently available. TSA is in the process of adding a third gender option for non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming individuals, but this option is not yet available.”
How behind the times is that? Shouldn’t the “non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming” options have been in place well before Pride Month? Where are the TSA’s priorities?
Related: Fox News Falls Into the Pride Month Trap
The TSA also thoughtfully informs us that “the gender on your identification documents does not need to match the gender you select on your TSA PreCheck Application.” You just have to go through the demeaning step of checking “male” or “female” when you apply.
I’m sure your heart goes out to all those LGBTQIA+-x÷ folks who have to go through the humiliation of picking a gender on their PreCheck applications. Here’s hoping the TSA will fall in line with the rest of the Biden Administration and solve the real problem of misgendering travelers.
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