The Social Security Administration (SSA) has decided to stop processing gender reassignment petitions on its records as of last Friday. There have been no formal declarations or extensive communications, but an internal directive has already been established.
This has a direct impact on individuals who wish to modify information in the agency’s federal database. This change is in response to an executive order titled “Defending Women from Ideological Gender Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth in the Federal Government” issued during the Trump administration.
The SSA will no longer allow gender reassignment requests in the U.S.
The new gender reassignment modification requires federal agencies to modify their regulations to account for what they refer to as “the biological reality of sex,” which eliminates the legal recognition of trans and non-binary individuals in these types of records.
As a result of the change, the SSA will no longer allow changes to the NUMIDENT system, a database containing personal information such as name, gender, and date of birth. Despite the fact that Social Security cards do not display this final piece of information, the system retains it for specific processes and verifications.
Anyone could choose their gender on SSA records until 2022 without having to provide additional paperwork. That policy, promoted by the Biden administration, represented a significant step forward for the trans community. Previously, during the Obama administration, these changes could be implemented without the need for gender reassignment.
With the new directive, all of that work is now undone. This isn’t an isolated action. It is one of several rulings that various government agencies have requested to comply with Trump’s biological sex policy.
Even though these executive orders are not legally binding, it is clear that they are influencing the legal recognition of trans and non-binary identities. Other comparable measures to gender reassignment include restrictions on transgender people’s access to healthcare.
For example, federally funded clinics and hospitals no longer offer gender-affirming services to children under the age of 19. As a result, some insurers have stopped covering transgender people, and other healthcare providers have discontinued their services.
What implications will this new move have on the gender reassignment supporters?
Human rights organizations have expressed concern about the new gender reassignment modification. They argue that this policy is a significant setback that contributes to transgender people’s routine denial of access to everything from legal recognition to healthcare.
The approach taken by the Social Security Administration is not unique. Many federal government institutions have taken a more stringent stance on the concept of biological sex, affecting people who do not fit into the stereotypical male or female categories.
It should come as no surprise that Michelle King, whom Trump appointed on his first day in office, is spearheading this reform at SSA. Her leadership supports one of the former president’s main agenda points, biological sex.
However, organizations and individuals have strongly condemned these actions. They argue that these restrictions limit transgender people’s access to basic services such as healthcare and have an impact on their legal status.
The prohibition on modifying Social Security records is one aspect of the United States’ broader restrictions on transgender rights. The group is still fighting to have their identity recognized and included in government decisions as these laws are implemented.
The future remains uncertain. Although the changes are in effect for the time being, it is unclear whether they will be sustained or whether they will be reversed by a subsequent administration.
