Social Security Will Now Allow People to Select Their Gender in Records

nytimes.com:

The Social Security Administration announced on Wednesday that people will now be allowed to select the sex that best aligns with their gender identity in records, a policy change intended to be more inclusive of transgender Americans.

The agency said it would now accept people’s self-identified gender identity of male or female, even if their identity documents show otherwise, and it is exploring a future policy that would allow for an “X” sex designation for people who do not identify as either male or female.

The Social Security Administration had promised in March that the new policy would be in effect by fall. The acting commissioner of the agency, Kilolo Kijakazi, said in a news release that the new policy demonstrated 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.” The change followed similar measures enacted by other federal agencies: In March, the State Department announced that it would give Americans the option of indicating their gender with an “X” on passports.

The Transportation Security Administration also announced at the time that it would offer the “X” gender option for applicants to its Trusted Traveler programs, which expedite travelers at U.S.