Irish Facebook users can now define their profiles more accurately, with over 70 gender options now available.
Following a successful introduction of the feature in the UK last June, Irish users can now customise how their gender appears on the social networking site. Of course, users can also set to whom such information is available to.
From the settings panel, Facebook users can now select “Custom” where a field allows the user to enter the gender definition they would like to be recognised as. Furthermore, they can also choose a preferred pronoun.
Facebook Ireland’s Managing Director, Sonia Flynn, stated to the Irish Times that “custom gender option means people in Ireland will be free to define their true gender identity allowing people to more genuinely express themselves and connect with others”.
Facebook Ireland have not followed Twitter’s suit in officially supporting a Yes vote in the coming referendum. However, such changes are occurring within a very appropriate context for changes towards our understanding of identity in Ireland.
