CNN's Angela Rye recently made a fearless decision to turn a horrific personal experience into a necessary call to action.
While making her way through TSA at an airport this past Thursday (Dec. 15), a safety routine that the political correspondent goes through regularly for her career, Rye was singled out to go through an added security check. Following this, she promptly asked the police officer called to the scene to film her being publicly patted down by a TSA agent.
During the aggressive search, the agent lifts up her dress and during the pat down, Rye asserts that her genitals were touched twice in the process. As seen in the final seconds of the video, Rye is on the brink of tears.
After the tragic experience, one that she refers to as utter humiliation, she took to Periscope to explain why she refuses to be silent about what had just happened to her. During her live recording, she shares, for one example of why this cannot be acceptable, that while she personally is not a victim of previous assault, she is worried about what effect such inappropriate TSA practices could have on those who have been sexually assaulted in the past.
View the video of Rye being searched and her Periscope session following the ordeal in the clips below.
I asked the police officer to film this so I can send to @TSA. I'm hoping my humiliation will fix the system. #TSAVaginaMonologues pic.twitter.com/lypkkcpZCW
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
So, apparently TSA follows a p-grabbing Trump model...🤔 https://t.co/L2um8XaKbt
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
By posting the video, she is hoping to fix a broken system and as the clip continues to go viral, many are responding to her posts on Twitter sharing their own TSA horror stories. Rye also posted an op-ed on CNN explaining what happened in further detail, calling out TSA in an open letter beginning, "Dear TSA: The country is not safer because you grab vaginas."
As the dialogues continue regarding this unfortunate experience, countless others are taking to Twitter to share their own stories, many of which are similar to what the reporter went through, further proving there is an urgency for change.
Check out some more of Angela Rye's tweets discussing the matter below.
Oh! They called the police on me. I had to make a choice. I needed to get to NYC, so I asked the officer to film. https://t.co/dJiimHEsIV
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
1. Metal detector and AIT (same thing). The AIT is what flagged my vag. I repeatedly refused a vaginal pat down. So they called police. https://t.co/fFtjbXW9H4
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
2. Even offered to go back through AIT. They told me to get the pat down or be escorted out by police.
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
3. Instead, the officer recorded TSA's pat down and offered to file an incident report when it was finished.
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
4. What she explained she would do in "back hand" pat down and the actual vaginal chop that occurred were diff. I would've preferred neither
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
I asked them to do this in public. I wouldn't have felt safer or less violated in "private". https://t.co/vCB0naXCUi
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
I have precheck and CLEAR. I fly weekly. Diamond on @delta. Still selected for random screening and after two machines...THIS. https://t.co/oPqrRn2xJR
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 16, 2016
I filed an official complaint. You have a congressional meeting on Monday to discuss. This won't go down in my DMs.🙋🏾 https://t.co/LZLiGkprVf
— Angela Rye! (@angela_rye) December 17, 2016
"I shared the video on social media," Rye writes. "I shared my humiliation. I shared my feelings on Periscope after the incident, so we could have a constructive conversation about altering practices. Of course, we want America to be safe and protected but we should not violate the emotional and physical safety of our nation's citizens at the same time."
Explaining her reasoning to not let this incident go by unreported, Rye shares that things won't change unless "we ask questions and demand answers."
"We do not have to do something because it's always been done -- that does not make it right," she adds. "Perhaps it's time for the TSA to invest in new equipment. It is definitely time for them to keep their hands away from vaginas."
Read her detailed account of what happened in full here, and check out some reactionary tweets below.
Recently noticed that wearing a pad will always trigger the body scan censor causing a crotch pat down. @angela_rye #TSAVaginaMonologues
— Jane Esq. (@JaneTheDragon) December 16, 2016
@angela_rye So many of us have had the same experiences at @TSA. Ive had my share of humiliation & ignorance. Thank u for being our voices
— amundefined (@av_clarke) December 17, 2016
How is a form fitting dress, menstrual products, human hips, tummies and groins setting off @TSA body scans???? #TSAVaginaMonologues
— Tia Oso (@Tia_Oso) December 16, 2016
I feel for every woman menstruating or ovulating, at am airport. You will be assaulted or fondled. #TSAVAGINAMONOLOGUES
— Lis™ (@LisRisi) December 17, 2016
This happens to me every time I fly! It is the worst violation.. #tsavaginamonologues
— Suga (@CatriceYvette) December 18, 2016
I went through this at LGA, mind you I was traveling with my husband and four kids, my youngest was strapped to my chst #TSAVaginaMonologues
— G$ (@Gee_R903) December 17, 2016
As scary as this is, even scarier is the American public's willingness to accept this as normal. Nothing angers me more than that. https://t.co/wAse8MPdEd
— Michael Brown (@MichaelBrownUSA) December 16, 2016
@angela_rye I've been patted many times for various reasons. Never as invasive as seen on that video. That's crazy.
— Amber Hunt (@ReporterAmber) December 16, 2016
@angela_rye I have a TBI/disability and in airports have to be in a wheelchair and they make me go through this. Way 2 call it out.
— Steph B (@steph_burdick) December 16, 2016
same thing happened to me in Baltimore weeks ago. TSA Dude groped my body ALL OVER. I pushed his hands off they treated to kick me out https://t.co/7NyKxq8ew5
— ♚King Kortney♚ (@fakerapper) December 16, 2016
Have you seen the video that shows a @TSA agent completely humiliating @angela_rye? Is that agent fired yet?! #TSAVaginaMonologues
— C.M. (@itscrystalm) December 17, 2016
Really? There is no better way to keep us safe? And some of y'all think "she is just doing her job?" #TSAVaginamonologues #disgusting https://t.co/y9qpdrkPAS
— Bammy A. Jr (@BammyJr) December 17, 2016
#tsavaginamonologues they should hire ginecologist and such. Free lump exam to fight Cancer in breast, nuts, vags, and assholes
— Maestre Montecristo (@Master_Zing) December 16, 2016
This is extremely sad to watch. #TSAVaginaMonologues https://t.co/UlMGF9abln
— Chris👸🏿🇨🇩 (@christellecraze) December 16, 2016
I'm really trying hard not to criticize and hate @TSA but there has to be a better way of doing this. #TSAVaginaMonologues https://t.co/0zJhSwa7gT
— Drew Breesus (@drewbreess) December 16, 2016
And when I was 12 it was a man TSA officer that searched me. My step mom was there. He didnt even apologize. #TSAVaginaMonologues
— Robyn Marie (@robyn_marie25) December 16, 2016
(Photo: Larry French/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
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