Facebook Adds New Gender Options; Includes ‘Trans Person’ & ‘Questioning’

Facebook, answering the call to be more gender inclusive, has added a number of new options to the gender portion of user profiles.

Facebook Adds Inclusive Gender Options

When a U.S. Facebook user goes to select their gender, there’s now a third option in addition to male or female – custom. Once a user selects custom, an autocomplete drop-down menu appears. The new options only appear after a user begins typing, reported CNN.

The new options that appear include transgender, trans male, trans female, cisgender, intersex, neither, gender questioning, and androgynous. In total, there are about 50 options that have been added.

Furthermore, Facebook users can now choose to be referred to by the gender-neutral pronouns “they/ their,” instead of “he/ him” or “she/her.”

It’s also possible for a user’s gender to be hidden from view from certain fellow Facebook users in the site’s privacy settings.

Facebook Explains Reason For Added Gender Options

“When you come to Facebook to connect with the people, causes, and organizations you care about, we want you to feel comfortable being your true, authentic self,” Facebook said in a post on its Diversity page.

“An important part of this is the expression of gender, especially when it extends beyond the definitions of just ‘male’ or ‘female,’ ” the post continued. “So today, we’re proud to offer a new custom gender option to help you better express your own identity on Facebook.”

– Chelsea Regan

Get Uinterview’s FREE iPhone App For Daily News Updates here.

Get the FREE Uinterview iPad app here and watch our videos anywhere.