Trans woman victim of discriminatory treatment while at Florida airport.
Not even an hour ago, a friend of mine began retweeting posts from a friend of hers in Florida. Shadi Petosky, a writer at PUNY, was going through security on her way to board an American Airlines flight, when the TSA pulled her aside because of an "anomaly (in between her legs)" that was seen during the screening. They then showed her into a room, where an officer held the door closed. A TSA agent by the name of Bramlet told Petosky to go through the screening machine as a man, or else it was "going to be a problem." It didn't end there. Officers accused Petosky of having explosives in her hands (there weren't any). Shadi kindly asked if the agent had any training in trans issues and he said abruptly, "I know what I'm doing!" Petosky tweeted that she flies all the time and she has never had a problem.
Cops and TSA agents said that they wanted to take her phone, but Shadi said she wanted to keep a record of what was happening (which she did. She chronicled the entire ordeal). The TSA kept a close eye on her to make sure she wasn't making videos or taking pictures.
After 40 minutes full of 2 full body pat downs, and a disassembling of her luggage, she missed her flight. She was told to rebook her flight at the gate and then go through the screening again (she was assured that she would be reflagged in the system).
After some time, a TSA agent approached her and asked her to leave the airport. Shadi requested a supervisor. She was escorted by police to another area whole sobbing. The cops kept telling her to "get herself together." When she reached an open ticket counter, she requested a flight out of the airport. The ticket counter agent said that a flight out would cost her $955. They offered her standby.
While Shadi Petosky was tweeting about this horrific ordeal, she began receiving phone calls from reporters. An American Airlines manager approached her and said that "in the future, ask for a private screening."
When my friend Aly posted about this, I was appalled. As an ally and supporter of the LGBT community, I refuse to be silent on injustice that is done against innocent people such as Shadi. This woman was just trying to go from point A to point B.
For the cops and the TSA to give her a hard time about the sex between her legs, that is just horrific. What does it matter what she was born with? She is a hard-working, tax-paying, and law-abiding citizen, and should be treated as such.
I for one will be boycotting American Airlines for their cruel treatment of this innocent young woman.
A few minutes ago, Shadi tweeted a message she received from American Airlines. They apologized to her for the inconvenience that she had while going through security. They also said that they were glad she rebooked.
While I am not trans, I don't see their apology being worth anything. I think American Airlines needs to become more educated on how to treat ALL travelers as equals, because this happens more than people know. It happens a lot in the trans community, in the Muslim community, and in many communities around the world.
While I understand that officials need to be vigilant due to terrorists, there is no excuse for the treatment Shadi received. It is absolutely uncalled for. The treatment Shadi received from American Airlines and the TSA cannot be legal.
To learn more about her ordeal, visit her Twitter page: https://twitter.com/shadipetosky
Cops and TSA agents said that they wanted to take her phone, but Shadi said she wanted to keep a record of what was happening (which she did. She chronicled the entire ordeal). The TSA kept a close eye on her to make sure she wasn't making videos or taking pictures.
After 40 minutes full of 2 full body pat downs, and a disassembling of her luggage, she missed her flight. She was told to rebook her flight at the gate and then go through the screening again (she was assured that she would be reflagged in the system).
After some time, a TSA agent approached her and asked her to leave the airport. Shadi requested a supervisor. She was escorted by police to another area whole sobbing. The cops kept telling her to "get herself together." When she reached an open ticket counter, she requested a flight out of the airport. The ticket counter agent said that a flight out would cost her $955. They offered her standby.
While Shadi Petosky was tweeting about this horrific ordeal, she began receiving phone calls from reporters. An American Airlines manager approached her and said that "in the future, ask for a private screening."
My Two Cents:
When my friend Aly posted about this, I was appalled. As an ally and supporter of the LGBT community, I refuse to be silent on injustice that is done against innocent people such as Shadi. This woman was just trying to go from point A to point B.
For the cops and the TSA to give her a hard time about the sex between her legs, that is just horrific. What does it matter what she was born with? She is a hard-working, tax-paying, and law-abiding citizen, and should be treated as such.
I for one will be boycotting American Airlines for their cruel treatment of this innocent young woman.
A few minutes ago, Shadi tweeted a message she received from American Airlines. They apologized to her for the inconvenience that she had while going through security. They also said that they were glad she rebooked.
While I am not trans, I don't see their apology being worth anything. I think American Airlines needs to become more educated on how to treat ALL travelers as equals, because this happens more than people know. It happens a lot in the trans community, in the Muslim community, and in many communities around the world.
While I understand that officials need to be vigilant due to terrorists, there is no excuse for the treatment Shadi received. It is absolutely uncalled for. The treatment Shadi received from American Airlines and the TSA cannot be legal.
To learn more about her ordeal, visit her Twitter page: https://twitter.com/shadipetosky
