Facebook Added New Relationship Status Options For Gay Community

The two new statuses that the people in the U.S. can choose from are, 'in a domestic partnership' and 'in a civil ｕｎｉｏｎ', and the move is expected to go well with the LGBT society. Currently, the options available are 'In a relationship', 'Engaged', 'Married', 'It's complicated', 'In an open relationship', 'Widowed', 'Separated' and 'Divorced' and these new options would be added from today itself. "This has been a highly requested feature from users. We want to provide options for people to genuinely and authentically reflect their relationships on Facebook," said a spokesperson from Facebook. The website has also initiated several LGBT-supportive campaigns recently and to check the growing teen suicides in the gay community, Facebook joined hands with Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). The campaign is targeted at ending anti-gay activities on the web.

Reactions to the ｕｐ ｄａｔｅ

The experts are double-minded on Facebook's move and while some feel that it is in sync with the changing times, others feel it is uncalled for. Also, the move has not gone too well with some married gay couples and they said that simply posting married, was more than enough for them. The relationship status up gradation policy is also termed unjustified by many, as gay marriages are still not legal in most parts of the world. The GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios said, "Being able to see same-sex couples in civil unions and domestic partnerships who celebrate their relationships no differently than married couples will serve as another reminder that these couples still lack the same legal recognition and protections associated with marriage." "Facebook's noteworthy move also highlights the vast majority of same-sex couples living in states where there are no legal protections whatsoever," he added.