In the wake of the September 21 harassment by TSA officers of transgender women Shadi Petosky at Orlando International Airport for having a "genital anomaly", 32 members of Congress have demanded answers from Transportation Security Chief Peter Neffenger.

While we understand the importance of vigilant airport security, we cannot countenance a security protocol that subjects transgender travelers to this level of indignity. To that end, we urge TSA to complete a thorough review of its current procedures and address any shortcomings that may, however unintentionally, subject transgender travelers to inequitable or improper treatment by security personnel.

Areas of concern addressed by the legislators included:

• stop making discretionary determinations about passengers’ gender identity

  In light of this issue, we urge the TSA to implement a screening protocol that does not rely on TSOs making often-subjective decisions about an individual’s gender identity.

• develop guidelines for screening that are sensitive to the needs of transgender and gender non-conforming passengers and to clearly state civil rights protections as well as explicit means for passengers to provide feedback
  

  To ensure transgender passengers are fully informed about all security screening expectations, we request that the TSA publishes detailed guidelines on its website to address these commonly asked questions, among others, and to include a clear explanation of the civil rights protections to which all transgender passengers are entitled to during the screening process.

• provide specific training for TSA employees that covers gender identity
• share results of its internal investigation of the Petosky case publicly

While being mindful of enacting the appropriate security precautions to keep all travelers safe, the TSA must also take steps to ensure that its employees are prepared to serve transgender individuals with the dignity, discretion, and respect that they, like all Americans, deserve. We appreciate your willingness to engage on this important issue.

The letter was signed by

Adam B. Schiff (D-CA 28)
Brian Higgins (D-NY 26)
Mark Pocan (D-WI 2)
Donald Beyer, Jr. (D-VA 8)
Tony Cardenas (D-CA 29)
Judy Chu (D-CA 27)
David Cicilline (D-RI 1)
Katherine Clark (D-MA 5)
Suzan DelBene (D-WA 1)
Sam Farr (D-CA 20)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)
Steve Israel (D-NY 3)
William R. Keating (D-MA 10)
Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-MA 4)
Derek Kilmer (D-WA 6)
Alan Lowenthal (D-CA 47)
Betty McCollum (D-MN 4)
Jim McDermott (D-WA 7)
James P. McGovern (D-MA 2)
Patrick Murphy (D-FL 18)
Jerrold Nadler (D-NY 10)
Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ 6)
Scott Peters (D-CA 52)
Kathleen M. Rice (D-NY 4)
Adam Smith (D-WA 9)
Jackie Speier (D-CA 14)
Mark Takano (D-CA 41)
Dina Titus (D-NV 1)
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD 8)
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ 12)
Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ 3)
Jared Polis (D-CO 2)