Social Security now allows individuals to self-select gender

A Social Security card is displayed in Tigard, Ore., Oct. 12, 2021. A Social Security trust fund is expected to run short of cash by 2033, according to new estimates, which would potentially reduce benefits to millions of Americans who depend on the program.

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.