I was up late last night emailing state representatives because South Dakota has a bill coming up for vote tomorrow that would remove the ability to change the gender marker on official documents like birth certificates, drivers license, etc. I wish I would have expressed myself this eloquently, but it had me going down a similar thought path. Why do we need gender on a driver's license? It serves no purpose. Why do we need to drop someone into a binary box?
FYI: You do realize that 'race' is embedded in our social security numbers in the U.S. Right? It puts 'systemic' into the phrase 'systemic racism'. Sure does!
Race is no longer embedded in the social security number nor the place of birth the numbers have been randomized for quite some time to prevent finding a social security number from their age and place of birth and only having to guess the middle two numbers which already have special reservations such as witness protection programs.
Well, it's still that way on mine, because I saw it several years ago, and I'm 67. 🙄 My race, the location I was born, etc. Randomized by who? Besides, they have the algorithm to see what's what, Melody.
Okay. Well, it leaves millions of people vulnerable to them using that information any way they want to. Mainly financial institutions, credit bureaus, etc. Now, of course, they're forcing people to show ID's in case those numbers are random for younger folk. Also, gender is part of the old format. So women, especially BIPOC women & transgender people, are at risk of information misuse/abuse.
I didn’t know sex/gender identifiers on passports was such a recent addition.
I love learning this kind of thing.
It really just shows that “the way things have always been” is just smoke and mirrors.
I was up late last night emailing state representatives because South Dakota has a bill coming up for vote tomorrow that would remove the ability to change the gender marker on official documents like birth certificates, drivers license, etc. I wish I would have expressed myself this eloquently, but it had me going down a similar thought path. Why do we need gender on a driver's license? It serves no purpose. Why do we need to drop someone into a binary box?
FYI: You do realize that 'race' is embedded in our social security numbers in the U.S. Right? It puts 'systemic' into the phrase 'systemic racism'. Sure does!
Race is no longer embedded in the social security number nor the place of birth the numbers have been randomized for quite some time to prevent finding a social security number from their age and place of birth and only having to guess the middle two numbers which already have special reservations such as witness protection programs.
Well, it's still that way on mine, because I saw it several years ago, and I'm 67. 🙄 My race, the location I was born, etc. Randomized by who? Besides, they have the algorithm to see what's what, Melody.
This is true for anyone born before 1990 where the system changed.
Edit: wrong year 2011. 1990 was when they changed how they were issue
Sorry wrong year 2011
Okay. Well, it leaves millions of people vulnerable to them using that information any way they want to. Mainly financial institutions, credit bureaus, etc. Now, of course, they're forcing people to show ID's in case those numbers are random for younger folk. Also, gender is part of the old format. So women, especially BIPOC women & transgender people, are at risk of information misuse/abuse.
Forgot to mention this, when you change your sex marker you get a new social security number.
I didn’t know this!
Thank you for the history!
In a similar vein, race used to be included on drivers licenses and no longer is, Texas is one example.