Social Security Will Now Accept Gender Self-Identification

[Carolyn Marie]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/19/us/social-security-gender-identity.html

 

In case there is a pay wall, here is a portion of the text:

 

"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."

This is great news.  A few years ago, after the SSA changed the regs to allow gender changes with a court decree, I had to practically wrestle a SSA staffer to the carpet to get him to read and follow his own agency's regulations.  He thanked me later, but dang, it was a struggle.

Carolyn Marie

 

 

 

[Ivy]

19 minutes ago, Katie23 said:

For the life of me, I cannot think of why some people are so upset that we are doing everything we can to have an external appearance congruent to who we are between our ears. Why does this evoke such an overwhelmingly negative response?

It is strange when you think about it.  I mean… What is it to them anyway?

[Bri2020]

now let's make it that easy for passports!  You have to have a letter saying you are being treated for gender dysphoria and whether or not you have had GAS. If no GAS, then you only get a 2 year passport. Mind you it will take 6 months to get the damn thing.

[Carolyn Marie]

4 hours ago, Katie23 said:

 A few months ago when I went into the SS office with my court order, the clerk challenged me and said that I was required to submit a letter from my physician that I had GAS. I told him he was in error and I thought he was going to have a meltdown. I explained that per the FAQ section on the SS website, the court order was sufficient. He persisted and told me I could not change my gender.

 

 

That is exactly what happened to me.  I had to show him the regs, from SSA's own website.  He disappeared for 20 minutes and came back and apologized, and told me I had educated him.  What I really wanted to do was wring his neck. 

 

Carolyn Marie

[VickySGV]

45 minutes ago, Carolyn Marie said:

I had to show him the regs, from SSA's own website.

 

Getting those Regs changed was an effort by NCTE and its then Executive Director.  It was an effort that came via the administrative work when attempts through Congressional means had hit walls.

[Mx.Drago]

Yay, smallest of baby steps. I'd be happier but😑 still waiting for that "X" classification for all documents.😞

Doesn't surprise me the grunts on the phone don't know the policy changes. It's rare to have the consideration from the higher ups to tell the office phone grunts, "hey you might run into these people with this particular situation cuz Things Change😲, so save yourself the headache and just process them according to what the paperwork orders." This fact that you need to be your own lawyer in these situations doesn't help matters. So much distress and dehumanization 😩.

[Ivy]

Oh well…