Rejoice! Trans Folks Can Now Change SSN Gender in One Easy Step
One small step for trans men and women, but one long leap still to go for non-binary people
Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner of Social Security, announced on October 19, 2022 (SSA Blog) that US residents can now self-select their sex on their Social Security number (SSN) record. The big change? You can do this without needing to provide medical or legal documentation of your sex designation.
To select or update your SSN designation, you will need two things.
- Proof of ID
- To request a replacement SSN card
The Social Security Administration will accept the applicant’s self-identified designation of either male or female, even if it is different from the designation shown on identity documents like passports and state-issued driver’s licenses or identity cards.
Why now?
Explaining their reasoning for the changes, Acting Commissioner Kijakazi said, “The Social Security Administration’s Equity Action Plan includes a commitment to decrease administrative burdens and ensure people who identify as gender diverse or transgender have options in the Social Security Number card application process.”
More progress still needed for non-binary people
Aside from the caveat that the classification is not represented on any tangible documents — SSN cards do not include gender markers — the sticking point is that applicants can still only select from a binary gender.
The SSA’s blog says, “Currently, our record systems are unable to include a non-binary or unspecified sex designation. We are exploring possible future policy and systems updates to support an “X” sex designation for the SSN card application process.”
As reported by the NYT, the State Department and Transportation Security Administration already offer Americans the option of an “X” gender option, indicating that the option for a non-binary classification by the SSA could also soon be available.
Further measures across individual states are equally promising, such as New York Governor Kathy Hochul saying citizens of the Big Apple will be able to choose an “X” gender marker on driver’s licenses and identification cards.
