First appearing in the River City Gender Alliance Transformer, November 2000:

To start things off on a good note, let me draw an important donation to your attention. Vicky Michelle, from Lincoln, has graciously donated a copy of the book �Trans-Sister Radio� to the RCGA library. If you�re not familiar with this novel, go back through your old copies of the Transformer, and re-read my column on chat room etiquette. (Or, read it for the first time. What ever it takes.)

It�s a wonderful book, and Vicky Michelle is most gracious to make the donation. Make sure you thank her the next time you see her.

Sarah West, from the United Kingdom, was over here for the Southern Comfort Convention, in Atlanta, and then flew around the country, visiting girls she met on the Internet.

Can you believe she wanted to come to Omaha? It�s true. Originally, she was to arrive here around 5 in the afternoon. Unfortunately, for reasons still unclear, United bumped her from a Denver to Omaha flight, to a Denver to Chicago to Omaha route. Her new arrival would be around 9 PM. Someone had to pick her up, and that someone was me. And since we were going out to meet other people at the Max, Betty and I had to hurry home and change for evening wear. (You�ve not lived until you�ve gone through airport security dressed for the club.)

Anyway, her flight to go home left Monday afternoon. I couldn�t take her, so I arranged for another friend to do so. Realize this: Sarah flew all across the country en femme. No problems. She passes. She dresses tastefully, and doesn�t make a scene.

She consulted with British immigration officials to see if there would be any problems, considering her passport photo and name belong to her guy-half. They said there would be no problem at all. She even had a letter from her shrink detailing her transgender status, in case problems did crop up.

Well, I�m sorry to report, there was trouble. Right here in River City.

The United staff, after checking the photo against the real thing, decided to let her board. Then, someone had a change of heart. Before the plane would take off, they made her get off, and change into boy mode.

While she was changing, her plane left. She was stuck at Eppley for another 4 hours, for the next flight. This delay caused her to miss her ride home from the airport in London, and caused her to be late for work. But more importantly, it was humiliating. They pulled her bags back off the plane and made her change in the locker room for the United grounds crew. After first saying �okay, we believe it�s you,� someone changed their mind, got nervous and said they couldn�t let her fly because she looked feminine, while her passport photo was masculine.

They didn�t ask to see any other identification, nor did they mind that she had no problems with other United flights in the States. Sarah is persuing legal action against United for discrimination. The original judge, in Chicago, threw out the case, at the last minute on a technicality. And since United is under bankruptcy protection, not much can be done at the moment. However, Sarah says this is not over.

Just please, think twice before you fly somewhere. Consider this incident before you fly United Airlines.

The incident and the court fiasco just points out how far we have to go before we can enjoy the most basic civil right of freedom of expression.

Visit Sarah West at her home page: Trans-Sister.