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TSA Pat-Downs & Homo/Hetero Rights
I lurk here. I have a question related to the TSA, pat downs, and sexual orientation. What are your thoughts?
First off, I am a heterosexual, married woman. DH and I travel a ton and so I'm very used to TSA pat downs and security screens. And, I'm fine with them. It's the world we live in now. Anyway, that's another topic.
I agree with the fact that males get male pat-downs and that females get female pat-downs. I'm going to guess that most women don't want a guy touching them and well, I'm assuming the same about men, but lots of men would probaly be fine with a women touching them...whatever. For the discussion's sake, let's just assume that men don't want to be patted-down by women.
So, does a heterosexual female or male have a right in the TSA screening line to find out the sexual orientation of the person patting them down? And, vice versa, can a homosexual person ask if their pat-down is being done by a hetero or homo sexual? Should someone of either orientation have the right to request their pat-down be done by someone who wouldn't be "attracted" to them?
There is the agrument that it's all about necessity and not enough time elapses for someone to get turned on in a professional setting over touching a like gender with the back of a hand. But, then shouldn't we just do away with any gender distinction and have men patting down women and vice versa? If it's not about SEX and attraction or lust, then we should just have the genders touching each other in lines. Right?
I personally, wouldn't want to be patted by a man or by a homosexual woman. Does that make me heterophobic and homophobic? Should people have the right to be touched in personal places by others who aren't going to be attracted to them (even a little bit)?
Re: TSA Pat-Downs & Homo/Hetero Rights
That's not where I thought this was going. I was thinking you were going to ask about a gay traveler being able to ask for an opposite sex screener.
No, you don't have a right to know someone's sexuality.
I'd rather be patted down by a man. A very handsome man.
Wow, OP. Do you have a right to ask about the sexuality of your doctor? Your personal trainer (they see you working out all hot and sweaty and sometimes touch you to correct form)? What about your hair stylist? Sometimes those hair washes can be very...exciting, you know (I don't think that, it was on a TV show once, and I'm sure some people do). What about the woman at the shoe store? If she's a lesbian with a foot fetish she may be attracted to you.
Do you see where this could go?
If you're comfortable with pat-downs then why NOT by a heterosexual man or a woman? Why do you assume that every man or lesbian would be attracted to you?
...
I um.
Nope.
I personally, wouldn't want to be patted by a man or by a homosexual woman. Does that make me heterophobic and homophobic?
It makes you very very confused.
No, you don't have a right to know a screeners sexual preference.
And, really, a lesbian TSA worker is not getting her jollies doing pat downs on women at the airport. Really, she's not.
Why do people still think that all homosexuals are attracted to them specifically?
Why do people still think that all homosexuals are attracted to them specifically?
Well I just like to think that anyone, straight, gay, other, etc... would jump me in a minute. I'm cute. I can't deny it. And at the airport I ask for the screening thing. Because I'd rather have a computer scan my insides for guns than give any one of those TSA agents the opportunity they've been looking for. I have to be on high alert all the time.
I sure hope my waxer is straight, don't need no lez esthetician enjoying my junk as it's on display and getting hair ripped out of it.
/TIC sarcasm, mkay?
Men pat down men, women pat down women. The end, YWIA. Do you want separate homosexual bathrooms so you don't pee next to a lesbian? Are gay males checking out other guys at the urinals any more than straight men are? LOL
Yeah, this post is just weird.
It's just not something that really crosses my mind, but then my gyno is a straight man and his wife goes to the same yoga classes I do. For what it's worth I've only ever seen TSA officials looking bored and/or annoyed while performing pat downs. I've actually been annoyed at being delayed because I had to wait for a female officer to come pat me down when there's a guy just standing around feet away.
I do think there's a fair question in here about why we do same sex patdowns in the first place. If it's not sexual, then what's the objection to someone of the opposite sex?
Personally, I have no objection to it. But I think a lot of people would, for really no good reason if you buy the "just a job" argument.
Click me, click me!
Ok, that's fair. Then why not let men pat down women? A male TSA worker is not getting his jollies doing pat downs on women at the airport. Right?
I would happily take a male patdown if it meant I didn't have to stand around for 15 minutes waiting for a female. What's the difference?
And who gives a darn what the sexual orientation of the person is? Most people aren't 100% straight or 100% gay anyway. If someone is 85% straight and 15% gay are they just plain disqualified from working for the TSA?
I have an idea. How about we stop asinine security theater.
Also, OP, are you going to ever report back with what happened after you called the police on the McDonald's cashier?
jinx
But what about BI TSA agents?1 They should just be banned altogether!
I've been to enough gay clubs to not care about unisex bathrooms LOL (yes the gay men are in there all.the.time!) I wouldn't really care if a male TSA agent patted me down, esp. if it saved me time at the airport.
They should be banned from airports entirely. No air travel for anyone from a 1-5 on the Kinsey scale!
Oh I understnad how you feel about it. I guess I'm just pointing out that the same folks who have an issue with a man could have the same issue with a lesbian. And if it's okay for a woman to feel that way about a man patting her down, why not a lesbian? I really don't think this necessarily means that woman is homophobic.
I too would just like to see us get rid of this nonsense altogether.
It just seems like such a weird thing to think about while you're getting frisked at the airport. "Is this woman gay? Is she turned on that she's touching my body and I can't do anything about it? Is she going to pull out my hairtie, say 'why Madam, you're beautiful' and ravish me on the conveyor belt?"
She's doing her job. She probably hates it. And then it is over and I go buy a coffee at Starbucks.
I guess I'm just pointing out that the same folks who have an issue with a man could have the same issue with a lesbian. And if it's okay for a woman to feel that way about a man patting her down, why not a lesbian? I really don't think this necessarily means that woman is homophobic.
I'm not homophobic but both would equally bother me. I'd also probably have an issue with a straight woman but I might do slightly better with that. I was raped a few years ago and both a man and woman were involved. I wouldn't care if a TSA worker wasn't getting any sort of sexual gratification out of it. What they find sexually attractive has nothing to do with my feelings. I would feel violated all over again and would probably have a flashback. I avoid this problem by refusing to fly.
I honestly don't care if a man or a woman does my screening. I will say, however, that I can't imagine a male screener doing a superfast, barely cursory screening because he was too busy oohing and ahhing over my shoes,* in which case, maybe I'll choose the women pat down women and men pat down men option - whatever gets me through the "I don't want to go through the porno-scan machine" line the fastest.
* Yes, that has happened before.
"You don't get to be all puke-face about your kid shooting your undead baby daddy when all you had to do was KEEP HIM IN THE FLUCKING HOUSE, LORI!" - doctorwho