Individuals will be allowed to make sure that their records with the Social Security Administration align with their gender identity under a plan announced Wednesday.
The action, which is part of the agency’s “Equity Action Plan,” follows through on a March announcement to do so by the agency’s acting commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi.
Kijakazi said the move is part of 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.” It’s also part of a larger Biden administration-wide effort to increase acceptance of gender identity.
In June, President Joe Biden signed an executive order meant to take steps to advance LGBTQ equality, including “strengthening supports and protections for transgender Americans.”
At Social Security, the agency will accept the applicant’s self-identified gender identity of either male or female, even if it is different from the designation shown on identity documents, such as a passport or state-issued driver’s license or identity card.
