Social Security Removes Surgical Requirement for Gender Marker Change

[William769]

Source: The advocate

The Social Security Administration today announced a revision to its policy around changing one's gender marker on a social security card, in a move hailed by transgender advocacy groups as a victory.

The SSA removed its requirement that transgender people wanting to amend their gender on a social security card provide proof of gender reassignment surgery, opting instead for more inclusive language that simply mandates a transgender person provide a passport or birth certificate reflecting their accurate gender, or a certification from a physician confirming that the individual has had appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition. The SSA's revision brings its policy in line with changes made in the past two years by the U.S. State Department and Veterans Health Administration.

"Most people may not see this as a big deal, but transgender people know that this seemingly small technical change will protect their privacy and give them more control over their own lives" said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, in a statement heralding the announcement.

"This crucial policy change by the Social Security Administration brings SSA procedures into alignment with other federal agencies that have made progress on equality for transgender people,” said Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in a statement. “This new policy is in line with how transgender people live their lives and is in line with the medical community’s consensus on when a person’s gender should be recognized. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force thanks the Social Security Administration for heeding the repeated calls from transgender and LGBT advocates to take notice that the policy was out of step with current medical consensus.”


Read more: http://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2013/06/14/social-security-removes-surgical-requirement-gender-marker-change

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This is huge for transgender!

[duhneece]

1. I live in rural US & know several transsexual individuals

I have been surprised at the sheer number of transgendered folks I know...one of whom I played Yentl for (successfully so far, over two years now) and I live in south central New Mexico, county pop of 62,000, very Republican, very Texas-style Bible Belt.
Good news indeed.

[HeiressofBickworth]

2. I'd go further up the chain and ask

why it's necessary to have a gender marker at all for social security purposes. Do men get more money than women? Do women get more money than men? What benefits or obligations attach to a social security gender marker.

Seems to me that one's work record and tax-paying record are most important. Either gender may apply for benefits based on the record of his/her spouse. More and more states are recognizing same-sex marriage so the identity of the husband/wife aren't relevant.

I say, get rid of the gender marker entirely. No one need identify themselves in any particular manner.

And while I'm on my soap box, here's a pet peeve of mine. I went to a new doctor this week. The new patient form asked if I was married, single, widowed, or divorced. Under the law there are only two legal statuses: married or single. I can understand asking if one is married because of the allocation of the responsibility for paying the bill. I marked "single" because I am, but how I got to that status is none of their damned business.