More people coming out on Facebook than ever before
- 9 years ago
In the past year, about 800,000 Americans came out on Facebook.
New data from the social network shows that since last October, there has been a steadily rising rate of people updating their profiles to express attraction to the same or both genders, announce a same-sex relationship, or redefine their genders.
Facebook added the option to create a custom gender in February 2014 to allow people to define themselves outside binary male-female distinctions.
"Facebook's research is proving just what a difference visibility makes to LGBT people," said Jay Brown, director of research and public education at Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
"In a year that's seen unprecedented coverage of LGBT people - from major coming out moments to Supreme Court victories to tragedies shaking the community - we see people becoming visible in their own lives."
New data from the social network shows that since last October, there has been a steadily rising rate of people updating their profiles to express attraction to the same or both genders, announce a same-sex relationship, or redefine their genders.
Facebook added the option to create a custom gender in February 2014 to allow people to define themselves outside binary male-female distinctions.
"Facebook's research is proving just what a difference visibility makes to LGBT people," said Jay Brown, director of research and public education at Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
"In a year that's seen unprecedented coverage of LGBT people - from major coming out moments to Supreme Court victories to tragedies shaking the community - we see people becoming visible in their own lives."