Love, Terrorism, and Flight

I cannot claim to have always had great experiences with TSA. In high school, I was randomly selected for extra searching, and I have definitely lost things out of my bag because I didn't realize they were in there and could not remain in a carry-on. I've been separated from other members of my party by well-meaning agents. And I've never enjoyed the overall process. However, this is a feeling shared with pretty much everyone who flies.

On the other hand, I have never experienced a flight when I felt like my documents were not in order. I have never really feared that if I were stopped and my paperwork were more carefully examined, I might be prevented from taking my trip. I have never felt that I needed to be extra polite to TSA agents not just because they are people doing their job, usually the best they can, and deserve respect, but because if I said or did the wrong thing, I might be delayed, detained, or prevented from flying.

I was fortunate today. I am fortunate generally. I'm White, young, pretty, regularly pass for straight, and have flown enough to generally know how things go. I also thought ahead on this issue to create the best conditions for slipping through, and I was extra careful not to pack contraband in my carry-on.

It sounds as though I am undocumented, perhaps, that my citizenship is in question. Or perhaps it sounds as though I am smuggling drugs or other contraband. Maybe you are thinking that I am trying to fly to Cuba without proper authorization. Perhaps you even think that I deserve to feel nervous.

Those are not the reasons I was worried and now feel fortunate. I feel fortunate because the only picture ID I possess has my maiden name on it. I can't afford to have my passport changed yet (soon, I hope), and the Michigan Secretary of State refuses to do it in the form of either a regular or enhanced driver's license. I've already asked about what effects this has for interstate or international travel, and was basically told that it isn't the Secretary of State's problem if I get stuck somewhere.

Here's the thing: TSA is a federal agency. Federally, I can file a joint tax return, change my Social Security card, and do most other things that married women do. So I imagine that TSA would expect my documentation to match. Theoretically, the state of Texas, my destination, should also be more interested in this information than in what the state of Michigan thinks. However, as a member of a same-sex couple, my ID is issued by the state, and Rick Snyder and Bill Schuette insist that it must be wrong. It must use the wrong name. It must ignore my legal documentation, in spite of what California says my name is, what the federal government says it is, what I believe God says it is, what my university says it is, and what my employer says it is.

Ironically, this trip is to attend the straight, normal wedding of a person who will get married in Texas but then move to another state and never experience any of this. She probably has no idea that this is even a concern. I'm going to the wedding. Hopefully I will not get stuck in Texas if a TSA agent on the other end of this trip decides to do a little digging.