What It’s Like to Travel as a Transgender Person

Cisgender men and women rarely have travel anxiety when it comes to how they identify on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, but as a transgender person, travel may be viewed differently. 

At Vacationer, we always try to keep our eyes and ears open to how members of our community travel, which includes sharing our individual experiences. So, that’s why we were intrigued by transgender woman Alex Jenny’s first-person account on Mic.com, where they go into eye-opening detail about their air travel regiment, in this particular case, a trip to San Francisco to visit a loved one. 

It’s not an easy stroll through an airport security line and to travel in general. Oftentimes, a transgender person has to conceal their true identity, which doesn’t provide the comfort some of us are afforded – the ability to travel as our authentic selves. 

“Despite the sacrifices I’ve made to transition – and finally be read as the woman I am – I cloak myself in masculine androgyny, hoping it shields me from experiencing the all-too-common transphobia of the TSA,” said Jenny. 

And even after winning the small victory of changing their gender on their driver’s license, they still have to deal with uncomfortable situations such as a TSA agent asking aloud, “So you’re a male to female?” Jenny proudly proclaims they are “trans” while getting stares from travelers standing behind them, and a harsh “just go” from the TSA agent.

Trans people are subjected to unfortunate situations when they travel, which includes TSA agents asking uncomfortable questions in a public setting, such as, “do you want to be scanned as a man or woman?” And of course, not able to fully be themselves, trans travelers must decide instantly, knowing that if they respond, “a woman,” the scanner will indicate an “anomaly” in their groin area. And that is more likely to lead to a thorough, invasive pat-down.

In Jenny’s article, they talk to Heather Denton, a trans woman from Carrboro, North Carolina, who says, “The whole process of going through security … it makes me feel ashamed of my gender, like I have to apologize for simply being myself.” They go on to say, “The trans experience is riddled with little indignities and reminders of our otherness.”

For transgender people, airport security is only the beginning of what they have to deal with when traveling. It’s also about the anxiety of traveling abroad and the added pressure of having to navigate issues of gender identity and sexual orientation. And even in the U.S., fears also arise on road trips. For example, Jenny describes passing through rural towns where the Confederate flag is still displayed proudly, and the anxiety of having to call roadside assistance increases. It’s a common uneasiness that Black travelers in the U.S. must also navigate. 

The LGBTQ+ community must continue to fight for the equal protection and rights of trans people, which also includes the travel space. We encourage you to read Alex Jenny’s full story on Mic.com. And if you are a trans traveler feeling anxiety about air travel, you can check out the National Center for Transgender Equality’s page on airport security for frequently asked questions and travel advice. You can also take a look at our article about the IGLTA’s tips for Transgender, Genderqueer, and Nonbinary Travelers.