Facebook Now Reaches Out To Gays

Pulse

oi-Suparna Chakaraborthy

By Suparna Chakaraborthy

Saturday, February 19, 2011, 10:44

Facebook, the social networking site which is constantly improvising, now has introduced a special status option for gay and lesbian couples. The Facebook status nor reads, “in a civil union" or “in a domestic partnership" for gays.

The Facebook status option for gays has been introduced in U.S., Canada, U.K., France and Australia after consultation with users and equal-rights organizations. This move of towards the gay community by Facebook has gained recognition from the human right group who term it as a huge step forward for the greater equality and understanding of same sex unions.

“I think it"s important to be able to recognize and describe the legal status of same sex couples. “It"s good visibility and good to show everyone on Facebook that same-sex couples exist, and are denied the status of marriage," says Marriage Equality media director Mollie McKay.

Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said the Facebook status for gay sends a clear message to users across the globe that Facebook supports gay and lesbian couples.

“By acknowledging the relationships of countless loving and committed same-sex couples in the U.S. and abroad, Facebook status for gay and lesbian has set a new standard of inclusion for social media," he stated.

Facebook status for gay and lesbian couple have given them the freedom to be open about their relationship. Same-sex unions are allowed in some states, but not recognized by the federal government.

They are defined as “civil unions" or “domestic partnerships" depending on the state where the union is granted, and the precise meaning of the two terms varies from state to state.

“This is a really positive step. I think it brings the online experience on a par with the way that people would talk about, or describe, their relationship offline. I think that Facebook really led the way on this discussion and deserves a lot of credit," Human Rights Campaign"s media officer Michael Cole-Schwartz said.