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Full body scanning at airports
We were discussing in the chat room the introduction of full body scanners in Australian International airports. There are some implications for TransGender travelers.
There is a comprehensive analysis of the privacy impacts in this document:
http://travelsecure.infrastructure.gov.au/international/files/Privacy_Impact_Assessment.pdfIt should be noted however that this describes the Australian position – for outgoing passengers. It may not apply to overseas airports.
Some relevant quotes:
Quote:when a scan is conducted the numerical data obtained during the scan is analysed by the body scanner’s automatic threat recognition (ATR) technology.With ATR technology, the scanner processes the data itself to determine if any potential prohibited items are present, eliminating the need for a human operator to interpret raw images.
The ATR software knows generally what a male and female body should look like and looks for any anomalies that might require further investigation. If the ATR detects an anomaly on the body, the software highlights the anomaly by using a generic human outline or „stick figure‟ and places a box over the appropriate area to indicate its location.
The aviation screening officer can then work with the passenger to determine what the ATR has detected. It is a government requirement that body scanners installed at Australian airports for
aviation security screening be fitted with ATR.14 These machines are not capable of producing „raw‟ images.Quote:10.10 Transgender and intersex communities
Any unknown object on the body will show up on a scan as an item that requires additional screening.If further screening such as a frisk search is required following a scan, passengers will always be offered the use of a private screening room. It may also be appropriate for transgender passengers to choose at the time whether they are more comfortable with a female or male screening officer conducting their frisk search.
Training provided to security screening officers is designed to ensure everyone is treated fairly and with respect when going through security screening at the airport. The Government is working with industry to ensure that the training of aviation security screening officers is relevant and sensitive to passenger requirements. As such, it will include training focused on the issues sounding screening for the transgender and intersex communities.
Quote:In order for the ATR technology to work properly, the screening officer is required to select the gender of the person being scanned.Screening officers will make this selection based on the person‟s outward appearance. This may mean that some transgendered passengers will require secondary screening involving questioning and/or a frisk search. The passenger can always request that such screening takes place in a private room.
Screening officers are trained to treat all passengers with compassion, dignity and respect.
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6 Replies
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If your flight from Australia takes you to the USA and back then this may be on-topic.
Victory For Transgender Privacy: TSA Abandons ‘Nude’ Body Scanners
By Zack Ford on Jan 18, 2013 at 2:26 pm
Quote:In what is an important victory for the transgender community, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has announced it will remove all body scanners that show nearly nude images from airports. The TSA had already removed 76 of the machines and will now remove the remaining 174, though they may still be used in other government offices where privacy is not a concern like it is in airports. Congress had set a deadline for OSI Systems to develop software for the scanners to produce generic passenger images instead of the the nearly nude images, but the company was unable to meet the timeline. Scanners produced by other companies that have managed to adjust the software will continue to be used.The invasion of privacy caused by the machine was particularly invasive for transgender people, who were considered suspicious if their genitalia did not match their presentation. Even the software change utilized by the remaining body scanners, which are manufactured by L-3, use “blue” and “pink” indicators for gender that can still cause confusion (and thus concern) for trans passengers. As a result, they can be disproportionately selected for invasive pat downs.
The TSA is planning to expand its PreCheck program, in which passengers share more personal data before arriving at the airport but can then go through metal detectors instead of body scanners.
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Edit; this post was written prior to AA second posting.
Thanks for posting this, speaking only for my self, at least I can now be prepared for various outcomes.
My personal position is that I’d prefer to possibly be embarrassed or inconvenienced than dead, I’ve come to quite like my life since starting to transition, I hope to live a long & happy life.
Quote:Screening officers will make this selection based on the person‟s outward appearance.This is an interesting point. The TgR survey showed that quite a number of people felt that outward appearances should be used to determine the gender of a person, I doubt that many ever considered this situation.
I guess it is possible that some may feel further pressure to conform to a particular level of presentation – a particular degree of femininity or should that be femaleness? This will affect more than just Tg people, it unfortunately will reinforce the notion that gender is a synonym for sex.
This poses yet again the question of what is gender & how closely does it/should it be link/ed to ones sex.I can see some possible disputes arising from this. I think it would be wise for all Tg people who may be affected by screening to very carefully consider what their response would be for any possible outcome. Unless you actually want to make a scene (which some may choose) prior thought would be wise.
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I’ve just returned from an overseas trip from Sydney, through Singapore, to India. The only place I encountered the dreaded full-body scanners on this trip was leaving Australia. I was ‘selected’ to go through the scanner rather than the simple metal detector gate and unsurprisingly the result was ‘suspicious’. The operator had keyed in MALE (sighs!) and my upper body was coloured pink in the scan (surprise, surprise). Even though I had put on an uncomfortably tight sports bra there was no fooling the technology.
I advised the operator (female) that I was Transgender and that was why the scanner didn’t like me. Her eyes lit up! I’m guessing she had sat through all that training about Transgender passengers and had never had a chance to put the training into practice.
First she offered to scan me again as FEMALE(I refused the offer as it would have only transferred the problem elsewhere). Then she proceeded to tell me all the rights I have (including a private screening) and selecting the gender of the person doing the screening. I assured her that I was happy for her to check me out – she felt under my arms and let me go. Smiles all round and a great start to the holiday.
All in all 10/10 for Sydney Airport – and no reason to worry about the scanners there. -
Back from another overseas trip – this time passing through international security screening 10 times. My observation is that full body scanners are slowly becoming more common. I saw a scanner at Singapore Changi for the first time, lots in Bangkok (but the one on my queue had broken down), and a scattering at other airports. I don’t have any new experience to add of the screening process as somehow or other I always found myself in a queue which only had the old “door frame” detectors. But my current avoidance strategy may become increasingly difficult.
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I really find this disturbing. Essentially every Tg person ‘selected’ will require a personal frisk search by security staff every time. No amount of ‘training’ of the said officers will in anyway assist the significant emotional impact to the traveler not to mention the considerable additional delay in getting through security.
I really don’t want to have to discuss my status with a contracted security person or a ABF staff member (which would be worse). The anxiety of this and having to ‘discuss it’ with some random person would make me feel ill and possibly lead to a panic attack making me nauseous.
This to me is the same level of discrimination as the NSW government requiring surgery to change your sex on your birth certificate.
And besides, it’s well known in Canberra that the ABF have internal issues with LGBT staff, hence I’ll never apply for a job with them.
I might have to rethink my European holiday nxt year now
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“The ATR software knows generally what a male and female body should look like and looks for any anomalies that might require further investigation. If the ATR detects an anomaly on the body, the software highlights the anomaly by using a generic human outline or „stick figure‟ and places a box over the appropriate area to indicate its location.”
Ah, so that’s the explanation … I travel frequently overseas and have always been bemused that I seem to get (at SYD) streamed through the body scanner and always frisked down afterwards … all those years of oestradiol and cyproterone acetate have left their mark … I can drop my paranoid belief that I, somehow, appear to be “suspicious” to them …
