TSA on Thursday announced it will implement new standards for screening transgender, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming passengers at airport check-ins.
The agency said the changes are meant to “improve the screening experience for all passengers,” Just the News reports.
The new standards will go into effect after the implementation of new technology that will partially replace the current, gender-based system to “advance civil rights and improve the customer experience of travelers who previously have been required to undergo additional screening due to alarms in sensitive areas.”
If the new technology proves to be successful, TSA will add other updates including: reducing the number of pat-down screenings, streamlining identity validation, making PreCheck more inclusive to include an “X” gender mark option and updating its Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming Passengers page to provide information to the traveling public on gender-related updates.
“Over the coming months, TSA will move swiftly to implement more secure and efficient screening processes that are gender neutral, as well as technological updates that will enhance security and make TSA PreCheck enrollment more inclusive,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. “These combined efforts will greatly enhance airport security and screening procedures for all.”
