Well played, Instagram!
Starting today – if you have the latest version installed – a new Instagram feature will allow you to add pronouns to your profile without having to write them manually in your bio.
Instead they’ll appear alongside your name (leaving more room in your bio for egg plant emojis and the like) in faded text part of your profile. It’s completely optional, so you don’t have to add any if you’re not feeling it, and you can remove or change them at any time.
Although, at first glance, it might seem like just another general app update, this is actually a pretty awesome step in the right direction for gender inclusivity.
Here’s what Facebook/ Instagram had to say:
“We are giving people more tools to express themselves on Instagram. “Sharing pronouns has been widely adopted by our community, and with this feature we hope to normalize the adoption further.”
To add your pronouns, just go to your profile, hit edit, then tap Pronouns. You can start typing whatever pronouns you wish, though you can only actually select from the results that pop up. This isn’t to limit the feature, but to stop dick heads trying to input things like ‘banana’ or ‘hufflepuff’.
So – and I don’t want to get too ahead of myself and excited but – it genuinely feels like they’re doing it right.
Go see for yourself, Instagram official tutorial video below.
And please do use the feature, even if you feel like your pronouns are obvious. It’s an act of solidarity and a great step in the right direction for the community/ people in general!