PhiladelphiaWeekly.com – By Daniel Denvir
Verify correct date and gender sticker. So goes step one of SEPTA’s guidelines for the correct use of a transpass. The ironically named pass, which requires riders to affix either an “M” or an “F,” has led to many uncomfortable, humiliating and bizarre moments for transgender people, who are often challenged by drivers as to the veracity of their gender identity.
In 2007, trans-identified female Charlene Arcila was told she couldn’t use her transpass as she boarded the SEPTA bus she regularly took to work as a counselor for people living with HIV/AIDS and substance abuse. It wasn’t the first time the 46-year-old Mississippi native had this problem. Previously she’d been told she couldn’t use the female transpass, so in desperation she got a male sticker. To no avail.