The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) commits to screening passengers without biases towards their race, color, sex, gender identity, national origin, religion or disability.  However, prejudgement, technological limitations, and misconceived notions have led to traumatic travel experiences for butches and transgender people. Similarly, with the “Ethics in Design” article, racial ignorance while developing new and modern technology has inconvenienced people of color, by distinguishing them from white people. Likewise, body scanners at airport securities often misinterpret androgynous-looking passengers, which has led to them having to go through additional safety inspections due to failed and ignorantly built public instruments.

I believe that ignorance with respect to ethical guidelines, and considerately developing technology has emerged as a consequence of impatient machine developers and engineers who are in a hurry to release newer technologies. They tend to overlook and undermine cultural factors that may be relevant towards different users of that technology in various regions.

As stated in the article, TSA employees are required to take cultural-awareness and sensitivity trainings. However, despite this, the situation for transgenders and butches at airport security remains poor and is insensitively handled. After reading the explicit stories and experiences of Butches at airport security, one repetitive incident arose in almost every one where they were physically pat down, publicly, by ignorant male TSA employees. This experience was described as mentally disturbing and traumatic for most of these women. Instead of rectifying the situation by apologising, the employees continued to do the same with anyone else they thought ‘appeared’ suspicious.

This led to my understanding that the actual problem is rooted within their mindset. Due to persistent and typical gender stereotypes, people have mentally developed a preconceived image of what both distinct males and females must look like. This suggests the lack of cultural and ethical education and awareness that persists even today. It is also an indication of how necessary a change is when situations begin to concern personal and sensitive issues at a progressive time.

Nonetheless, for some situations it may seem necessary for the TSA to conduct additional inspections as this could concern the safety of other passengers. A way through which this issue can be addressed sensitively would be by developing a section where each passenger must declare there sex or gender before being scanned. This way all individuals would be recognised and acknowledged respectfully. However, a permanent solution would only arise if developers design technological equipment in a considerate and progressive manner. Additionally, TSA employees must be selected and tested more strictly on their cultural and ethical principles.