Identity and economic choice
Nearly everyone can agree that one of the worst parts about flying is going through TSA security screening. The system is designed to be thorough, meant to identify who you are and what you’re carrying. For those who identify as transgender or genderqueer, this is where things get complicated.
In a New York Times op-ed piece, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, a professor at Bowdoin College, wrote about their TSA experience and how the system operates in a less-than-favorable way for those who don’t identify as binary male or female. This is one instance of what people like Marzano-Lesnevich experience when navigating through the economy.
“I changed gyms because the gym I belonged to didn’t have a place for me to shower,” Marzano-Lesnevich told Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal. “And I chose my doctor’s office because they asked me about pronouns on the phone, because they didn’t assume something about my gender.”
Click the audio player above to hear the conversation.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
