Social Security to Offer Self-Attestation of Sex Marker in Social Security Number Records
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: March 31, 2022
Today, Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, announced that the Social Security will offer people the choice to self-select their sex on their Social Security number (SSN) record. We anticipate this option will be available in the fall of 2022.
“The Social Security Administration is committed to reducing barriers and ensuring the fair treatment of the LGBTQ+ community by updating our procedures for Social Security number records,” said Acting Commissioner Kijakazi. “This policy change will allow people to self-select their sex in our records without needing to provide documentation of their sex designation.”
People who update their sex marker in Social Security’s records will need to apply for a replacement SSN card. They will still need to show a current document to prove their identity, but they will no longer need to provide medical or legal documentation of their sex designation once the policy change becomes effective. SSN cards do not include sex markers.
In February 2022, we issued guidance instructing employees to accept evidence documents that contain non-binary identifiers (e.g., “X”) for original SSN and replacement SSN card applications, and other updates to our internal SSN records. We are exploring possible future policy and systems updates to support an “X” sex designation for the SSN card application process.
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Tags: General Information, Social Security card, SSN
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Darlynda Bogle, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Darlynda Bogle, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Mike S.
Bad idea on many levels. It is lying for one thing.
Susan S.
Is this some kind of a joke? What is going on in this world? I don’t care how you dress or what you do with your body but if you were born a female you are a female, if you were born a man the you are a man PERIOD! What are we going to do next change everyone’s birth certificate?
Roxanne
Don’t give them any stupid ideas. As you see they come up with them on there own!
NathanL
some states already allow this, some don’t.
what you like or do not holds no bearing.
SSA is a FEDERAL organization.
birth certificates are state/county issued (two separate gov’t levels and agencies).
while you may think it’s “stupid”, it’s already happening, much to the delight of the affected community.
if you were affected, you’d find it liberating as well.
it’s scared and regressive ideologists who want to impose their ‘beliefs’ onto others as law that are perpetuating the ignorance and inequality.
someone’s gender-marker has ZERO impact on your life, and their freedoms of expression match those of any religious expressions – HOWEVER, their changes only affect themselves (not others), that’s the real difference.
jing h.
No
Anne B.
I do not agree with this. An original birth certificate is one of the documents needed to apply for a SS card. On that birth certificate is the gender of the applicant. When the applicant changes his/her mind as to what gender they are do they need to apply for a new birth certificate too? What happens when they change their minds again in a few years? Do they need to apply for another birth certificate and another SS card? Why make this process harder than it needs to be? A person’s gender is listed on their birth certificate by the attending physician when they are born. It’s as simple as that. I also believe that if you open this door, you open the door to other choices. For example: What if I wanted to identify as a 65 year old female? Can I apply for a new birth certificate and change the date of my birth and then receive my full SS benefits?
James G.
Anne, A couple of months ago I was thinking of identifying as TPE (Taxpayer Exempt).
How do you think that would pan out?
Mike G.
The SSA has no business getting involved with sexual identity. The SSA is not even close to being a medical or healthcare organization to set rules or guidelines for sexual identity. This is encoded in our DNA and leave it at that. If an individual wants to self-identify something different from his/her genetic makeup, then that is their choice and has nothing to do with fairness or equality. The forces behind the push to make these changes are simply being made to FORCE “acceptance” down the throats of those who still have deep moral and ethical standards.
Roxanne
Well said.
Linda U.
Agree. The SSA can leave off any reference to gender and there is NO bias or inequity whatsoever. Any benefits are not determined by gender so get the politics out of the conversation.
Karen
Agree. If an X is allowed, then that means nothing as far as a personal identifier. So drop the gender question altogether! Of course, gender is one way to distinguish between two people with the same name, but hey, let the government throw more monkey wrenches into keeping our records straight….
Anne B.
Very well said.
Douglas
Absolutely amazing what the educated idiots can come up with in this good Government of ours. I must really rethink my voting habits because we are headed the wrong way.
Mark H.
incredible what a screwed up mess this country has become and how much rectal smootching the government will do.
Diana M.
So right! I am glad I am on the way out of this world and not on the way in! We wonder why so many “humans” are screwed up!
dale f.
This country is loosing sight of what God intended it to be. It is so sad that this world has came to the shape it is in this day and time. It has became a very sick world we live in and becoming worse.
Charles J.
dale f, yo are aware that not everyone believes as you do, don’t you? If we were in the Middle East we would more than likely be Muslim. Religion is regional and usually you believe in what you were taught as a child. YOUR god may have intended for this country to be one thing, but the Native Americans we stole it from and tried to wipe out, have a different idea. It was their land and their gods. How about the South Americans who were almost wiped out by invading white Europeans and their cultures destroyed. Was that your god dong that? Don’t lay your excuse for hated on your god, accept the fact that you are self centered, and hate anyone not just like you.
Tom D.
You moron. Don’t preach your bigotry’s on that person. This nation had continued to evolve and got better and better until folks like you got in charge and began it’s destruction. You will suffer the same destruction; China is coming for YOU!!!
Tom d.
You deleted my reply by saying I already said that, but I had not. What a bias Gov’t agenda site and blog!
James G.
Tom, the agency (like many of us on Social Security) are just a tad cranky right now waiting on the Senate to pay back those millions of dollars they “borrowed” from the fund over the years.
Maria P.
Well said!
Tonia R.
I don’t agree with this.. this is a way to identify someone. If a persons sex has changed, it should be easy to show proof with medical records and should be documented and changed. This jus makes it easier to steal somebody’s identity. Anyone who has been a victim of identity theft would more than likely agree!
RICK B.
THIS IS TOTALLY STUPID . DURING COVID WE WERE TOLD ALMOST EVERYDAY TO ” FOLLOW THE SCIENCE ” . WELL THE SCIENCE DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS.
Billy
I don’t agree with this, that said these ppl should be treated fairly and not looked down upon.
Charles J.
Thank you Billy. I wish everyone had an open and loving heart like you do. So often people try to shape the world into what they want rather than think of other people’s needs and wants.
Michelle
Thanks Billy. You don’t agree but realize it doesn’t hurt you to have others treated with respect. God bless.