Apple Releases Gender-Neutral Emojis

A new batch of Apple emojis launched this Monday with iOS 13.2, and among those emojis are gender-inclusive, non-binary options for almost every human emoji. This includes individual emojis and couples. There are even gender-neutral mythical creatures like mermaids and fairies.

While many people in the LGBTQ community applaud this effort at inclusivity, some are critical of the launch. Critics have stated that it is not truly inclusive, and in some ways is more confining of gender-neutral individuals, because it represents a single depiction of how this community does/should look.

Another thing to point out, though it hurts my heart to say this, is that Apple is actually behind the times with this. Google Android launched their non-binary emojis all the way back in May.

These specific emojis were not the only addition, there were merely one subsection of the 328 emojis added. While some seem just completely random, like a snorkel, a juice box, and a yoyo, others are more in line with the supposed inclusive path they are going down. These emojis depict people with disabilities, such as individuals with wheelchairs, hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, and canes.

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