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.
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: General Information, Social Security card, SSN
See CommentsAbout the Author
Darlynda Bogle, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Darlynda Bogle, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Comments
Comments are closed.
Michael
Well then the acting commissioner and everyone who thinks like this is a complete idiot. “Reducing barriers”? You mean ignoring science to appease a confused and disturbed group of people? I can’t believe the world we are living in and how things like this are even allowed to happen. Soon, nobody will need to produce proof of anything for anything…we’ll all just live in a made up world where we can be unicorns and dismiss reality all together. You’re sickening for supporting this kind of movement and all you are doing is further perpetuating hate by posing people who live in the real world against those who live in fantasy land. The real kicker is that you (companies, institutions, judges, agencies,etc.) are supporting the ones who live in fantasy land. And for what? Why?
Roxanne
Agree with you 💯%!
Carol
You’re right. Hey don’t need delusional affirmation. They need counseling
Joe K.
Totally agree idiocy
Mike H.
With all the challenges that the SSA faces, this is an irresponsible waste of money and resources and to what end. I agree with Jay V.’s comment, how is the SSA going to calculate the life expectancy of an “it”, “they” or “them”? Will the next step be to allow people to select their species if they feel they are not of the human race? It is unthinkable that agencies such as this think that Americans are OK with terrible policies such as this. Acting Director, try to explain your policy and waste of resources to a retiree who is trying to decide between heat, medications or food and get back with us.
Ace A.
Since it obviously does not apply to you — you shouldn’t allow yourself to become needlessly upset
MJ
It applies to all who pay taxes and are on SS, since it’s a needless waste of money.
Why does it matter what sex you are for SS. If it’s needed Life Expectancy actuarial table calculations, it’s highly probable that life expectancy will be affected if someone has multiple surgeries for sex changes or are mentally stressed by their birth gender. So actuaries will need to track & calculate for all the categories. More money, more taxes, less SS benefits.
Michael
So by your comment and ideology, if we are not gender confused then we should have no say so in what we as a people, species, company, organization, agency, country, world should believe in? We should sit idly by and let science, facts and reality be ignored and/or dismissed? We are no longer changing the confused to meet the real world, we are now changing the world to meet the needs of the confused? While this absurd change may not “apply” to those of us not living in fantasy land, it certainly does impact us. So excuse us if we “allow ourselves to become needlessly upset”. Perhaps you shouldn’t allow yourself to be part of the problem?
Charles J.
Micheal, knowing that inside you are a gender that you were not born with is not gender confusion. And no, you do not have a say in what life someone else lives. You have a say in your life, not mine. Why do you needlessly worry with what someone else feels or believes? You use “confused” and “fantasy land”. Could it be you are confused and living in fantasy land because you do not accept that everyone sees the world as you do. Again, live our life and let others live theirs. Or as my mother would have said, “Mind your own business!”
Ken
Charles, why do you feel compelled to comment on anything that challenges the logic of gender confusion? SSA has no reason to be using resources to perpetuate the lie of gender identity when it is not possible to change your biological gender. You seem to be confused and wishing for a fantasy not the rest of us. Maybe you should mind your business?
Mike H.
Ace, I am all for everyone being allowed to live their life as they see fit, as long as it does impact someone else’s right to do the same. This move by the SSA falls right in line with what has been going on the last few years. When the rights of the few take precedence over the rights of the many, then I do indeed have an issue. The recent same sex marriage decision is another example. Many agencies and companies now provide health insurance for same sex couples, whether they are married or not, but refuse to do the same same for unmarried heterosexual couples. The SSA is responsible for managing the Social Security system, not engaging in social commentary. You have the right of protection under the Constitution, just like I do, but thinking an expensive change to SSA policy to appease a very small percentage of the population, is not reasonable.
Mozell P.
YOU ARE SPOT ON WITH THIS NEW BOGUS BS FOR SOME STUPID SEX MARKER IDENTIFICATION — JUST CRAP & MORE CRAP FROM THE LGBTQ STUPID DUMMIES !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Karen
Good point about calculations for SS payouts. Science shows that women live longer in general, but where does a “they” fall? Pretty soon we will all get less because the lowest denominator always wins. All of these algorithms based on scientific data based in gender will go out the window, all due to less than 8% of our society, and the other 92% will take the fallout. Respect the differences, yes, but in a Democracy, decisions are based on the majority.
Terry D.
This is totally ridiculous! Why would Social Security submit to woke radicals that think they can actually choose their sex. Our country is self destructing.
Phil G.
Sorry but you can not “self-select” your sex. As stated in the previous comment your sex is already established. What are these people thinking?
Randall W.
During Biden’s and democratic leadership this makes sense, it is totally inappropriate to ask for such a SEX marker, but taking such a step in the light of our last president (Trump) and his party’s exclusionary policies, as well as sexist, racist and ethnic ways this would be a mistake for anyone. and anyone to do this should be made clear of the positives that would come out of doing such an action and assurance that no one would ever be hurt by the SOCIAL SECURITY or the governments actions or lack of actions.
Charles J.
Thank you Randall. We have taken steps back in equality in this country while under Trump and lot of the current Republicans. Again, my mantra is, do your life and let others do their lives. What does anyone care what someone does that makes them happy.
Deborah K.
I agree with the first two comments, this is totally stupid!!!!
Jay V.
Do you not understand the fundamentals of actuarial science? Social Security benefits are based on the life expectancy of males and females. How are you going to adjust for the desired gender change? The system is already stressed to the maximum. Have some sense and educate yourself on the actuarial science. This is stupid!
Charles J.
No Jay, it’s not stupid. It’s being kind to a segment of American society that has been ignored while also being ganged up on. Just like anything new, there will be adjustments. Actuarial tables and the such will be adjusted. Love yourself and let others love themselves.
Ken
Charles has a delusional reason for his/her wanting to comment, best to ignore him/her
Diana M.
Does not matter what you “identify as.” You cannot change your chromosomes. If you are “xx” you are female. If you are “xy” you are male. Let me know when you can change that and I’ll be on your side!
Ace A.
Tell us everything you know about Intersex
people who were born with both genitals
Glen H.
AMEN! Just because a modification is made to your external body parts you think you changed your sex? How stupid is that? What about people that have had limbs amputated — can they now be considered to have had some kind of sex change? What about people with tatoos? Hysterectomy? Appendectomy? Let’s make new categories for everyone!
E M.
So true. Agencies, government, etc. are appeasing mentally disturbed people.
Yes, disturbed is someone who doesn’t understand that if they’re born one gender, they’ll always be that gender. No matter how many surgeries they get and how many hormone drugs they take. Their gender will be the same as the one they were born with. Period. These people need psychological or psychiatric help. The world is getting so weird now.
Charles J.
Diana, physically you are right. But mentally, you are wrong. Not everyone with XX feels like a female and not everyone with XY feels like a male. The key here is how the person feels inside. Everyone should have the opportunity to be who they feel and live their true self. I wonder why you care what someone else thinks of themselves. You know you. You live you. Let everyone else do the same.
Wally
Charles, so the answer is to use gender, not sex, for the self-identification purpose. Create a separate field to post gender, do not corrupt the factual scientific sex determination. Also, there are XXY and X where the Y determines maleness. My suggestion is to change the sex coding to XX, XY, XXY, and X and add the gender field. But again, this is so minimal in importance compared to all the backlogged SSA work and impacts only 4% of total US population (3% gay, 1% trans) that it should not be justifiable by any measure.
If this was announced today I would think it an April Fools joke!
E M.
Charles, with all due respect, it is because now we’re now asked to not say Ladies and Gentlemen or boys and girls. Now we have to think twice before we say something that might offend someone who’s disturbed and needs mental care or treatment. The focus should be to get to the root of the problem not masking it or putting a band aid to it. But to provide mental care for these mentally disturbed people.
The idea to check a box that says what gender you see yourself as instead of checking a box that actually identifies the true gender is ludicrous.
Karen
Funny how the argument is about sexual behavior and not gender. Gender is what is important in a identifier document, not how they have sex. This small group of people don’t want to be called male or female, fine, but transgenders ARE seeking to be either male or female, just not what they were born as. How you behave is not your gender, it is your personna, and males and females can behave anyway they want and still be identified as male and female. It is society’s profile of what a male or female should behave as that is the problem. When we accept the range of personnas, then gender can remain as born, with the very few medical exceptions of cross-over gender. The Social Security card is an identifier for record keeping and should remain as marked with birth gender, especially with SS numbers being given to young children now.
CRM
I am shocked and appalled. Satan is at work. Your English is incorrect you printed: Enter you Email Address to Subscribe.
Charles J.
CRM, not everyone believes in Satan, or the Cabala, or Mohammed, and so on. Live your life as you choose, but don’t try to force you beliefs on others. I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian home, became a Roman Catholic and then finally found Taoism. We all have many roads to travel. You can travel with some as a friend or an enemy. I chose to travel my roads as friends with everyone.
elizabeth d.
How sad. How woke. How ridiculous. F.O.L.L.O.W. T.H.E. S.C.I.E.N.C.E
Gene H.
Fully agree with you. If you apply for a SSN, you should submit your birth certificate as documentation
Pete j.
ALL members of Congress, the appointees , the clerks and whoever trods the carpet in the Hallowed Halls of of our Capitol before being sworn in must show birth certificate with the notation made, when presented, that they took Bio101 and checked their shorts, just to make sure.
Ace A.
Tell us what science also says about Intersex people who were born that way.
E M.
I totally agree. FOLLOW THE SCIENCE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.