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I know this has been discussed before, but people always seem to have questions about flying and TSA.
First off, TSA doesn't care that we dress or are trans. Their job is to keep flying safe, or at least try to.They are trained to deal with gender and dressing issues, so that is not really an issue, but many here still worry about going through the TSA check.
The reason I bring this up is I recently fled and had my breast forms in my carry-on bag and the x-ray flagged them as well as a cheap wine opener I had forgotten about. My bag was inspected pretty thoroughly until the wine opener was found (which I just had them toss out.) My forms were in a nylon bag and while the agent did squeeze them he never opened the bag not said anything. I suspect he knew what they were, so the quick squeeze was enough.
Since many here do fly with their forms in their bag, has anybody else had any issues? I have flown wearing a bra and was flagged by the whole body scanner and was checked, but sent on my way as soon as they new I was wearing a bra.
@jjandme I’ve never flown with breastforms or a bra on but have worn panties many times. I always get put through the scanner as I’ve surgery requiring some metal in my body.
@cdashley recently flew, Florida, to NYC, layover, to Soal Korea,layover, to Vietnam
27 hours + or -,
wouldnt wear breast forms all those hours. ! Wouldn't wear heels either. A dress, bra with/out pads, panties I wore, wouldn't again. Haven't found any wine here with reason $$ , screw top or otherwise. Wearing skirts and blouses in public is OK though, some look but most could care less.
A few moments here and IMHO. At airports with scanning baggage, passport control, but wearing a dress and gender not a big issue, these days imho.
@jjandme I guess the two lessons are:
1. If you travel with forms, wear them
2. Only drink wine with screw tops
@jjandme JJ, many thanks for the advice. What about when TSA checks your id? I wear a mask in the airport and plan, for my medical reasons, the agents always ask me to drop my mask.
xxx
Jamie
@jwhite I always make it a point to try and see what is on the various screens the TSA agent sees. That is how I knew he was looking for the wine opener (and no, life is too short to drink screw-top. wine🤭😘) and forms. They both had little red boxes around them. As for the body scanners, the set M or F, and maybe they have other settings as well, but that allows the algorithm to flag anomalous features. Hence, a new on a male is flagged while it is ignored on women.
Wearing a mask should not be an issue, you just have to pull it down for a second or two as they check your photo ID (license or passport).
@jjandme I am a bit different, so only my thoughts, and may not apply. I do have sport shirts with padding, and tucking undies, but haven't done anything else for body forming. I probably wouldn't bring those. I'm also a pragmatist. If I were flying, I'd have a small pack, shoes I could run in, some cash, and a credit card. I would wear the most boring clothes, and try to look like someone no one would notice. I might, though, place a preferred, umm, thing, on top of my belongings inside my pack, but that would be for a laugh, and not wanting to shop for it somewhere later. But mostly I try to navigate public as simply as possible.
The following is taken from my first ever response to a Forum on CDH (one of several amusing incidents I had recounted):
THE GRAPEFRUIT INCIDENT (about 2008)
I was travelling back to the UK from a business trip in Germany. Passing through Dusseldorf airport security, my carry-on luggage went through the X-Ray scanner. As it came out of the scanner a rather young security officer pulled me over and asked if I was carrying grapefruit in the case (there are rules governing the movement of plant products between EU countries). I had to open the case and show him my breast forms. He was far more embarrassed than me, and very apologetic. I usually travelled with work colleagues, but on this occasion I was just glad I was travelling alone.
I have just noticed a few references to whether or not airport scanners pick up bra wires. I have no experience of this, but after an accident a few years ago I ended up with one of my heels held together internally with a metal bracket and screws.
My plan to get through Heathrow on my next flight after the accident: get copy of foot X-ray from hospital and print it out; expect to set off strident alarms and big flashing lights on the body scanner; show x-ray picture and provide explanation; fly off with no further problem.
Actual events: nothing, silence, zilch, what use are these expensive scanners????? I was actually disappointed that my opportunity to flourish the x-ray picture was denied me 😣 . Maybe I should have tried wearing a wired bra!
Hi JJ, I'm glad that you got to pass through with your forms. I always get stopped and full bodied and patted down. It's become so common for me that I just wear clothes that they can easily figure out my intersex body. Once I even flashed an agent (don't do that, I was almost arrested). Most times we have a conversation where I tell them that I'm intersex, they get a woman to touch me, we talk and then I'm on my way in about 5 minutes. I did have a problem 2 years ago when I was bringing a costume to the Showgirl Museum in Las Vegas and it had small silicone gel enhancers in the bra. A female agent went ballistic on me and demanded that the enhancers be removed from the bra before I could pass. She said that they were over the weight limit for gels and because I had them in my carry-on bag it was forbidden. Things got a little heated but I realized they would just screw with me until I missed my flight so, a $30 pair of gel enhancers got pulled out of the bra and went into the forbidden bin with the pins, knives, bullets, can openers etc. I picked up another pair of enhancers for that bra later but could have gone without the hassle. I think that maybe the agent just had a bad breakfast or was trying to impress the boss or just figured that it was a dull morning and I was the specimen of the day to play with. Anyway, I work half a year as a women's costumer and the costume was worth 10K. It was in my carry-on just so it wouldn't get damaged, lost or stolen. The bra was a separate piece so it was easy to deal with. Still, at least from my experience, a gel of any kind could get confiscated in a carry-on. I usually travel light with one bag so I try to be especially careful when packing to avoid problems. I know many others travel with forms or enhancers but this was my experience. I think that the problem might have been avoided if I had stowed my bag but know that musicians and costumers tend to have stuff disappear when things are out of sight. This was my experience and perhaps this will help someone. Happy Landings, Marg
@margprodue Somehow, I suspect a GG who had a radical mastectomy and was wearing a pocket bra with silicone forms would have been passed through without a blink or incident.
@charlottesometimes Oh Charlotte, I think that you are so right. Plus, being an intersex person is always an added extra interesting experience. My Life is never dull. lol Marg
TSA and boarder security did not even flinch at all
No comments, no extra checks.
My phone face recognition doesn't recognize me, the I was matched to my 9 year old passport photo no problem
Paula
I have flown several times fully dressed. I havent had any real problem. My ID and passport have my male image so i travel under my real name. I did get obtain a "Global Entry" and with facial recognition software I usually get passed right on thru. Have always been addressed as female too.
On my last trip , i was returning from Panama. I had forgotten to take off a small necklace that set off the scanner. I tried to get the TSA agent to just let me take it off and go back thru it. He wouldn't let me and insisted I stay right there so the female agent could pat me down. She ran her hands up and down both sides of each breast up and down the rest of me as well. She smiles and then said have a safe trip ma'am.
So I guess it's better to fly with your boobs on than in the bag.
I have travelled many times with my bra and forms. The first couple of flights I carried the forms and bra through in my carryon, but have generally worn both bra and forms everytime since then. I have never had any more scrutiny from TSA agents wearing my bra and forms than without. To be honest, my wife is stopped by TSA much more frequently for additional scutiny then I have been,
MacKenzie Alexandra
Are you saying you have never been checked either with a pat down or having your carry on searched because of bras or forms? I have been patted down twice because of wearing a bra and this was the first time I had silicon forms in my carry-on bag, and they were flagged and checked. Maybe it was because of the corkscrew that my bag was searched, but the forms were flagged as well. Now with Pre-Check, I do not have to go through the scanner, which flags bras, and only go through the metal detector which does not.
@jjandme Underwires don't trigger the metal detector? I also have PreCheck, and that would be handy to know.
They have not in the several times I have passed through one but have been flagged the two times I wore a bra with wires through the whole body scanner. Both the underwire and clasp were flagged. It was never an issue, just a quick pat down and I was on my way.
I'm travelling now, the forms flagged my carry on for search, and the TSA agents swabbed the forms. Why wouldn't forms also get flagged by a full body scan?
Travelling today, and my bag with forms sailed through, not need to check contents ... go figure!
I few home from Birmingham Alabama yesterday, while fully en femme. Dress heels, forms bra, tucked, full makeup. This makes my 4th flight fully en femme.
I get sir and He Him from the agents. I get She Her, Ma'am from the flight crew.
You can fly en femme without any issues.
Paula
I was flying home last week thru SFO this is one of the newer lanes that has the iPad that takes your photo to compare your ID, I had no problem walked thru and on my way, I have pre check 😀
I love flying en fem I wouldn't do it any other way.
Great to hear everybody sails right through TSA. I hope it encorrages others to fly as they choose. I have never had a provlem, but I have been checked a little closer at times, buy never an issue or delay.
