TransGriot Note: Just as being an African-American subjects you to almost daily slings and arrows and assaults on your dignity and personhood, so does being a transgender person. Don't even get me started on how much drama it is sometimes being a transperson of color. One of our transsistahs in the City of Brotherly Love is experiencing a maddening problem with her bus pass that's preventing her from using it. In an effort to crack down on fraudulent uses of the passes, SEPTA, the transit authority for the area puts 'M' or 'F' gender marker stickers on the pass.
Well, that has caused problems for Charlene Moore-Arcila as this link to the video and the news story will elaborate on.
6abc.com, PA, USA
Transgender's Transpass Problem
Friday, September 19, 2008 | 8:18 PM
By Denise James
PHILADELPHIA - September 19, 2008 - (WPVI) -- A sticker SEPTA uses to cut down on fraud with its Transpasses has caused an unusual problem.
Now, that problem is at the center of a lawsuit.
Charlene Moore-Arcila says she used to use a Transpass to ride SEPTA, and now she uses tokens.
This, after an incident in 2006 in which a driver did not let the 42-year-old male to female transgendered rider using her Transpass when boarding the bus.
The Transpass cards have stickers, with "M" for male and "F" for female.
Living as a woman, Charlene was using a female sticker. She says the driver told her she couldn't use the transpass, because she's not female.
But, she says, she's also been stopped when her transpass had a male ID sticker.
"There has been incidents where I have gone to get on a bus with a male transpass, presenting myself as a female, and a driver said I can't use it," Moore-Arcila said. "I'm like, can you make up your mind which I need to purchase?"
Charlene has filed a complaint with SEPTA, which maintains the stickers prevent fraud.
Richard Maloney of SEPTA said, "It's a matter of security, and in our case, of making sure the pass isn't passed on to someone else."
Moore-Arcila maintains the stickers are discriminatory, and her attorneys say the stickers do not prevent family members of the same sex from sharing a transpass. They argue it singles out people like their client.
The Philadelphia Human Relations Commission agreed Friday to investigate, and determine if the gender stickers violate the city's fair practices act.
SEPTA has challenged the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission's authority to hear a case about SEPTA, because SEPTA answers to the state.
The commission says they do have that authority, and SEPTA plans to appeal.
Copyright (c)2008 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Copyright (c)2008 ABC Inc., WPVI-TV/DT Philadelphia, PA. All Rights Reserved.
7 comments:
Hi Monica,
As you know girl I am another transistah from Philly. I can not thankyou enough for bringing this article to the people.
I know Charlene. We met at a African American function, and also met at the Trans Health Conference in Philadelphia.
I have always said that SEPTA was wrong for doing this. I always wondered why SEPTA does this, but not New York? I feel that they are targeting trans women in general. Philly is very TRANS PHOBIC.
I am glad that the city is being sued. As black trans women, we are getting fed up with this local system here.
I must admit, that at times I bought a female pass, but had to hide the sticker when I held it, so that no controversay would arise. But after all the harrasment, many of us just break down and get the male sticker. I hate it when we have to do that.
I am finaly glad that our warior Charlene is giving SEPTA hell!!!!
Thanks again Monica
What about those that identify as neither male or female? We have to stop thinking in terms of binaries because it excludes people. They could solve this whole issue and just turn the passes into photo idea and that would even prevent people of the same gender from sharing the card. The solution seems rather simple to me.
Renee,
You're right. It's a simple solution that SEPTA will probably wish they'd thought of after spending all the cash on attorney's fees to basically be told they're discriminating.
Eboni, I get 800-1000 HPD on this blog. Might as well put it to good use. ;)
You'd be surprised who actually reads it. I found out even a certain purple Massachusetts congressman and a large allegedly GLBT org does.
I just went back and read the comment section on the piece that you linked to. They have the nerve to blame the trans woman for this problem instead of the obvious hatred in this society. IGNORANCE reigns supreme it seems.
When I read about this on Nexy's, my only response was "why even mention gender?" It's just inane and oppressive, this "carry a sticker that we can arbitrarily ignore if we decide we don't like you."
It's pure discrimination and harassment.
Also: Every time I hear about Philadelphia in relation to trans women, it's something ridiculously bad.
as a philadelphian, i've always wondered precisely why the transit authority ever bothered with the stickers. i never understood them to be a relevant means of fraud prevention -- especially not at present. this is the day and age of identity theft; who's wasting their time tryna jack someone's bus pass?! because SEPTA is essentially private and is not a municipal service like the police department, i think that those at the top of their pecking order are maintaining this out-of-touch status quo simply out of ignorance; they are not SEPTA's ridership.
my support is with charlene. thank you for posting this, monica!
Hey, Monica, I know I'm 6 weeks late to this post, but I want to thank you anyway. I'm a trans woman who has had problems on SEPTA Rail regarding the stickers, especially with the ticket agents. I have to pick and choose which one to use -- uh, oh, can't buy my monthly pass today, that transphobic guy is at the window...
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