The ‘pregnant man’ and ‘pregnant person’ emoji, which are set to make a dramatic appearance on Apple’s iPhones with its latest iOS 15.4 update, have sparked controversy, dividing public opinion over the reason for their creation.
Apple’s version of the emoji was recently released as part of the iOS 15.4 beta, which is a voluntary system update, which iPhone users can choose to install.
After releasing a new batch of emojis for the new iOS 15.4, which features an emoji of a pregnant man, the Apple emoji factory has ruffled some feathers online.
Three new gender-specific emojis, a pregnant man, a gender-neutral pregnant person, and one wearing a crown, seemed to be the most polarizing addition.
The move is part of the emoji society’s ongoing attempts to make digital conversation more inclusive. It includes the introduction of non-binary emoticons and other smileys.
As Emojipedia explains, they can be used » for representation by trans men, non-binary people, or women with short hair ” .
Jeremy Burge, the founder of Emojipedia who attends some Unicode meetings, wrote in July 2021 that the new symbols reflect that ” pregnancy is possible for some transgender men and non-binary people”.
Several netizens argue that the effort to make the biologically peculiar phenomenon global diminishes the qualities that distinguish women from men, leading to much gender confusion.
The debate has also been all the rage in recent weeks, dividing the web between those who support this inclusive decision and those who do not understand its usefulness.
“It’s not my world anymore”
Pregnant Man Emoji: What do you think? Debate in #TPMP ! pic.twitter.com/EGVJfMZcps
— TPMP (@TPMP) January 31, 2022
Nobody opened their mouth for these emojis there, but you justify being against the pregnant man emoji because “it doesn’t exist” lol, a debate on TPMP downright. It’s shameful seriously reconsider your priorities. (And yes, pregnant men do exist) pic.twitter.com/Q8KHKKHfao
— neo (@breakingdawn_cc) February 1, 2022
In fact, we don’t care what you have to say on the subject. The only thing that matters is that pregnant trans men exist and that a simple emoji (which represents a part of the population) does not cause problems for anyone. pic.twitter.com/C5ecDxT2TR
— neo (@breakingdawn_cc) January 31, 2022
“Pregnant Man”…Apple’s new inclusive emoji…
Would it be possible to envisage that inclusion does not become the annihilation of the most fundamental notions in maintaining a balanced civilization?? pic.twitter.com/PUh0sKmK9q
— 📣Ella Kelian (@EllaKelian) January 31, 2022
Who is the moron who invented the pregnant man emoji?
😂😂😂
That is rediculous #TPMP—Ragnarsson (@RagnarokHaze) January 31, 2022
The IOS 15.4 update includes more than emojis. Face ID can also be used while wearing a mask. The beta version recognizes “the unique features around the eye area to be authenticated“. According to Emojipedia, these changes will be available to the public when iOS 15.4 is released in the spring.
This isn’t the first time Apple’s emoji factory has caused controversy with emojis. With the iOS 14.2 beta in 2020, Apple launched a sexually ambiguous Santa Claus emoji, infuriating conservative naysayers who accused the company of perpetuating the so-called “War on Christmas”.
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