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Airport Body Scanner Transgender Issues—frequently asked questions

Body Scanners will soon be introduced at international gateway airports providing the travelling public with the most advanced screening technology available in the world. Following successful trials of body scanners at Sydney and Melbourne airports, the new technology will be rolled out across international airports from the second half of 2012 (see media release).

As part of the consultation process for the implementation of body scanners, the department ran two privacy roundtable discussions in September 2010 and September 2011. Additionally, a dedicated privacy stakeholder briefing and demonstration of the body scanner was conducted during the body scanner proof of concept trial in Sydney on 4 August 2011.

The Gender Centre and Organisation Intersex International attended the first privacy roundtable and the trial briefing/demonstration.  

Issues raised included:

  • There were concerns that body scanners would effectively force members of transgender and intersex to be ‘outed’ during screening as the technology required an operator to select a gender for screening. 
  • Prosthetics would likely be detected as a potential threat item by the body scanner's Automatic Threat Recognition (ATR) technology.
  • Many transgender and intersex people do not conform to the anatomical template of male or female and this may trigger a response from the ATR.
  • There should be more training for airport screeners on how to deal with passengers sensitively.

Measures to mitigate concerns:

  • There continues to be a strong emphasis on training of screening officers stressing the requirement for passengers to be treated with dignity and respect.
  • Members of the Gender Centre and Organisation Intersex personally engaged with screening staff at Sydney International airport as part of the privacy stakeholder viewing and demonstration during the body scanner trial.
  • Gender awareness issues are being incorporated into the development of aviation screener trainer competencies.

What can we advise on different treatment when transiting?
In the UK, US, Holland and Canada body scanners are used as a screening method. The UK does not have an opt out provision. For those that opt out the alternative screening usually involves a thorough search of the entire body including sensitive areas.

If a person goes through a body scanner and is identified as male but their passport is female will this result in a security concern / issue?
In order for the body scanner's automatic threat recognition technology to work properly, the screening officer is required to select the gender of the person being scanned. Screening officers will make this selection based on the person's outward appearance. This may mean that some transgendered passengers will require secondary screening which may involve questioning and/or a frisk search. The passenger can always request that such screening takes place in a private room. Transgender passengers may inform the screening officer if they are more comfortable with a female or male screening officer conducting the frisk search. Screening officers are trained to treat all passengers with compassion, dignity and respect.

New software is currently being developed that will remove the need for the screening officer to select the gender of the person prior to scanning.

What procedures will be used if a body search is required?
The type of frisk search applied at Australian airports is conducted in accordance with Crimes Act 1914.

Inter sex—how will the scanner show that up?
Inter sex individuals may require secondary screening following a body scan. The passenger can always request that such screening takes place in a private room. Screening officers are trained to treat all passengers with compassion, dignity and respect.


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Last Updated: 13 February, 2012