Be Yourself on Facebook

By Ted Resnikoff

Transgender_Facebook

Transgender_Facebook
Re-posted from GLAAD.– Ed.

Facebook introduces custom gender field to allow users to more accurately reflect who they are

by Rich Ferraro, Vice President of Communications February 13, 2014

Facebook announced today that it will now offer a custom gender field for transgender and gender nonconforming people. The new feature, which GLAAD helped develop, enables users to select a custom gender option, indicate preferred pronouns and adjust privacy settings for the custom gender field. It will be available to those who use Facebook in U.S. English.

"This new feature is a step forward in recognizing transgender people and allows them to tell their authentic story in their own words," said GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis. "Once again, Facebook is on the forefront of ensuring that the platform is safe and accessible to all of its LGBT users."

Previously, Facebook users were required to select either "male" or "female" in the gender identification field. Users now the option to select "Custom." Once users select custom, they will have the ability to enter up to ten identification terms (e.g., transgender, androgynous, genderqueer, etc.) to better express their gender identities. Users who use the new custom gender options will also have the ability to choose the pronoun they'd like to be referred to publicly and select which groups of their Facebook friends they feel safe sharing their gender field with.

"Facebook users from across the country have been asking for the ability to reflect their gender accurately, and today Facebook showed they have been listening," said Allison Palmer, GLAAD's former Vice President of Campaigns & Programs who worked on the project with Facebook and current GLAAD staff. "Facebook's new gender options will make a difference to many transgender and gender nonconforming users, who are now empowered to accurately describe their own identities on the platform."

Read this announcement on GLAAD.