Transexual TSA screeners are no longer permitted to perform pat-downs on passengers and are instead being limited to other duties. Individual airport security screeners report receiving a memo about this change, and a TSA spokesperson confirms the shift in policy to me.
In compliance with Executive Order 14168, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, published January 20, 2025, TSA has rescinded a policy from 2021 regarding transitioning and transgender officers. Male Transportation Security Officers will conduct pat down procedures on male passengers and female Transportation Security Officers will conduct pat down procedures on female passengers.
The change is linked to a Trump administration executive order defining gender in binary terms – and a requirement that male passengers receive pat downs from male employees, while female passengers receive them from female employees.
- Some TSA screeners feel restrictions on their duty assignment based on self-identified gender is discriminatory and a violation of their basic rights.
- While others feel that passenger discomfort matters – the screener will literally be patting down their genitals and some will feel uneasy being touched up by an officer who presents as same sex but was born or previously identified as a different gender (and may be in a state of transition).
Passengers, of course, already had the option to request a different officer if uncomfortable. Not all passengers may know this or may feel comfortable asserting themselves in the face of authority in a high stress environment. And they may not even be aware of the identified gender of the officer screening them.
Requiring same sex pat downs hasn’t prevented sexually-oriented abuse scandals at TSA in the past. For instance, at Denver airport it was revealed that attractive passengers were being flagged for additional screening by same-gender employees.
Ironically, what TSA employee were doing in that case was incorrectly identifying a passenger’s gender on screening devices, so that an employee would need to ‘clear the anomaly’ in the areas of a passenger’s body that didn’t appear as the machine expected.
It is shameful that such a common sense, ethically correct action has to be mandated by the President – liberals have lost their minds.
At the rate Trump is going; it is going to be very difficult for any government agency to hire new people; unless they are white. I don’t know why anyone would want to go and work for the government at this time; maybe in 4 years; unless it someplace where you can get a check while you look for another job that is not in the government.
Pulling out the Keynes vs Hayek screenshot. Didn’t expect that for a TSA story but not opposed to it either.
@Gary Leff — The only important thing here is what you already said above: “Passengers, of course, already had the option to request a different officer if uncomfortable.” And as you suggest, more passengers should be informed of their rights.
My question, out of the roughly 58,000 TSA employees, how many ‘trans’ agents who do screenings even are there? This doesn’t seem like it was an actual issue; rather, just another ‘culture war’ distraction. Clearly, @David R. Miller already took the bait.
@1990:
Thank you! +1
Common sense. A pretty basic principle.
@Bob — That does seem to be where things are headed, sadly. This administration is practically seeking ‘reparations’ in favor of wealthy, straight, white, Christian, man who are loyal the President. Everyone else should get ready to go ‘camping’ in Guantanamo or El Salvador. There is bound to be a lot of ‘re-writing’ of history going on in these coming years. The ‘dehumanizing’ rhetoric is escalating, too. Most people here (and everywhere) simply wanted ‘peace’ and ‘affordability’ (the ‘price of eggs,’ etc.), not this nonsense (or renaming bodies of water, or ending aide, or fighting our allies, or closing agencies that protect consumers, or not prosecuting corruption, and on and on).
@David P — No. This is just hate. ‘Common sense’ is allowing the passenger the option to decide if they prefer a different agent to complete the screening.
For an elite, premium travel experience, consider Delta.
@Matt — Ok. Thanks, Mr. Bastian (we know it’s you.)
@David R. Miller is correct, this is common sense.
@Bob – why are you so dramatic? I am sure you can request anyone you want to pat you down.
@ 1990 – currently common sense does not exist. This rule makes a lot of sense just like no men in woman’s sports, use the public bathroom of your born sex or your post transitioned sex.
The definition of common sense has been thrown out the window and re-written to accommodate those with a very perverted ego.
What’s next, refusing pat downs from presumed homosexuals? How about refusing them because you don’t like their ethnicity? Or perhaps their religion? This pathetic new policy opens the door for lots more discrimination, which is exactly what was intended: red meat for racists and homophobes.
@Michael Mainello — No, such unnecessary targeting, banning, or eliminating a specific group of people is not ‘common sense.’
The Transportation Security Administration is a government employer, not a private entity, and appears to be discriminating on the basis of gender, and perhaps, sexual orientation as well, so likely a violation of the ‘equal protection’ clause of the 14th Amendment, Title IX. I’m sure the lawyers will continue argue over this one.
For your sake, since you are clearly a rabid partisan and in-favor of this ‘change,’ the 6-3 conservative Supreme Court will probably give you a win and allow such vile discrimination.
TSA shouldn’t have hired these mentally ill people who like to play dress-up in the first place.
@Christian — I share your concern.
It’s one thing for bigots and hate-mongers to speak freely in their personal capacities–for better and worse, such speech is mostly ‘protected’ from government censorship, though, there are limitations (can’t be yelling ‘fire!’ in a crowded theater), and it is not free from consequences (you may lose your job if you say stupid things). Decent people should always challenge such hate and intolerance (while they still can). Troll the trolls, as I like to say.
Though, what we are witnessing here and elsewhere recently in the US is quite different: This is the government weaponizing the ‘culture war’ propaganda and disinformation to rally His ‘base’ against vulnerable groups. Innocent, good, hard-working, talented people are likely to get hurt.
I’m confident those who disagree will cherry-pick some nominal hypocrisy as a ‘gotcha’ (it’s often disingenuous distraction tactics and logical fallacies with these ‘deplorables’).
Finally, it should be noted that as far as I can tell VFTW is a private entity, and Gary can technically ‘mute’ any of us if he wants to, so long as it is not ‘explicitly’ on the basis of our race, ethnicity, etc. So, we should be grateful that Gary continues to allow free expression in the comments, even if we passionately don’t agree with each other. Thank you, sir.
@CHRIS — I knew you’d show up. “Your boos mean nothing, I’ve seen what makes you cheer.”
@Michael Mainello “common sense” is a mythical concept invented by people who can’t rationally explain their thoughts on a topic.
@1990:
You are the Queen of taking the bait. Just look at all of your posts to this one article.
@Miguel — I’d say I’m the King, but you can call me whatever you want. As for commenting at VFTW, you can ignore or engage. You do you.
“Ever breath I take in your disapproval, fuels my self esteem”
Thank God for President Rump now I can sleep at night knowing I wont get groped by trans
Say hallelujah!
They are blowing smoke in the public’s face with their transgender obsession.
I have seen thousands of TSA screeners, but none of those standing by the metal detectors and strip search machines have ever struck me as being transgender screeners.
Mountains. Molehills. And in the meantime, they don’t even give a damn about how such marginalized people already have much higher suicide rates than the public at large. They aren’t pro-life, they aren’t pro-freedom. They are trolls out to kill liberty and neuter government institutions in the interest of the rich and twisted.
@Christian
what’s next? Thinking I should listen to a trans-sexual for health advice at the highest levels…oh wait…that happened…”Admiral Rachel Levine” asst secretary of HHS.
trans-sexual don’t understand health. Because if they did — they wouldn’t be trans!
Stop agitating…and start being self-reflective. Question everything…which the media doesn’t like. Who controls the media again? What questions do they not want you to ask?
Oh…I’d say the same thing about many gays as well…but this is thornier then trans. Same causes have deceived majority of straight as well.
more fake racism/discrimination claims again… I’m the victim!! wahhhhh
@1990 – No, such unnecessary targeting, banning, or eliminating a specific group of people is not ‘common sense.’
We target specific groups in the name of the law. Mentally challenged are not allowed to do many tasks. I am guessing you don’t want your uber driver to be mentally challenged.
How about someone that has a diagnosed mental disorder that is being medically treated, would you like them to be your doctor and operate on you?
“Reformed” sex offenders are still banned for holding certain jobs around children. Just to name 3.
Trans individuals, by their nature, are confused. They were born 1 sex and want to change to the opposite sex. Much is to be learned about this.