If you're flying from SFO to SEA, you should go with Virgin Airlines. I just flew them (on August 13), and Terminal 2 -- which Virgin flies out of -- has no advanced imaging technology scanner, only old-fashioned metal detectors. No AIT means there's nothing to opt out of, so that means no groping. Keep in mind that other airlines at SFO are not safe. Other terminals at SFO do have naked-scanners and groping.

Another option is to fly out of Santa Rosa or Monterey. Obviously, there is extra cost and time involved in getting to one of these airports. I've flown out of Monterey, but not out of Santa Rosa. Monterey is a tiny airport with easy security -- again, only metal detectors, no groping.

As far as getting back from Seattle, I recommend taking the bus or train to Portland and flying out of PDX. Portland has no naked-scanners whatsoever, and may never get them. There is a lot of local opposition to it. This is what I did recently to get back from Seattle, so I can tell you that this plan still works as of August 16.

tsastatus.net is very helpful. I haven't flown out of a single airport that has naked-scanners ever since they were deployed. I've made sure to plan to fly out of alternative airports, no matter what the inconvenience. As a trans man who packs, I take this very seriously -- I'm not going to put myself in a situation where someone may discover I have genitals they're not expecting.

The only *bad* TSA experience I've had was in mid-2009 when I was flying out of O'Hare after having top surgery. I was hassled because my ID still said 'F' and they couldn't believe I could be the person on my ID because of that. Ironic that. Since then, I've gotten my ID corrected and I've, like I said, avoided situations where I'm likely to encounter an aggressive pat-down.

Oops, I should have posted this on DW so the links would work. Oh well.

I guess I'm slightly less cynical than that: I just think the percentage of people who care at all is vanishingly small. Even the paranoid libertarian types who are cis, and who don't want scanners, don't constitute a big enough group to have any political power.

Apathy is a dangerous thing.

TSA employees were, at least at one point, handling out the number to call to say "I don't want scanners installed at PDX."

I've never been patted, but I've been wanded, because I kept setting the metal detector off.

After being pulled aside, I was given a wanding by a person of my target gender, who was courteous and charming. We eventually determined that my underwire was setting it off.

I've gone through modern full-body scanners without question/incident, despite having a rather atypical blend of body parts.

My last flight was from Indianapolis to BWI, which is a pretty high-traffic and tight security destination. Full body scanners at both locations. No problems on either my flight out or back.

Now, if someone were to tell me that they will get down in my junk as part of a pat-down, I think I might wish to quietly pre-brief them on things. I'd be ok with doing that. Your mileage may vary. My past is what it was. My present is what it is. There's no shame in either. I will not succumb to fear. This is not to say that I am foolhardy; I am vigilant and aware of my exceptional circumstance as I progress through TSA each time. But there are all kinds of people with exceptional body/presentation circumstances... people with alopecia, ostomies, implants, prosthetics... they all go through the TSA every day. I'm not so special, really. I'm just another sheep on the farm... and for the purpose of travel, I'll play nice for the sheepdog.

Since transitioning in 2007, I've flown through SFO, SNA, ORD, IND, BWI, PDX, MCO and SJC on major carriers. I'm flying Southwest from IND to SFO next month.

I have a US passport and Indiana drivers license with my target gender, although my birth cert and social security records don't match those other things. I plan to fly to Europe in the next year or so.

They don't touch your genitals but darn near close. I'm a girl though so maybe hanging down bits would get touched in the proceedure. They pull the waistband of your pants out and that felt horrible to me. They run their hands over your rear end and up under your breasts and across your chest. I found it pretty awful. I just had to have a pat down on the way back because if you have a service dog they don't want you to go through that screening machine. I'm not sure what else to say.

Funnily enough this topic came up in my therapy session. Apparently now if you have a service dog it doesn't go through the screener and you have to have a pat down but I don't do well with being touched.