By Alex Schultz, VP & Executive Sponsor of pride@facebook
As Pride celebrations begin around the world, Facebook is proud to support our diverse community, including those that have identified themselves on Facebook as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender or gender non-conforming. In fact, this year, over 12 million people across the globe are part of one of the 76,000 Facebook Groups in support of the LGBTQ community, and more than 1.5 million people plan to participate in one of the more than 7,500 Pride events on Facebook.
This year, we’re excited to unveil more ways than ever before for people to show their pride and support for the LGBTQ community on Facebook:
Update Your Profile Pic with a Rainbow Frame
Throughout the month of June, you might see a message from Facebook in your News Feed wishing you a Happy Pride and inviting you to add a colorful, Pride-themed profile frame. You can access the profile frame by visiting https://facebook.com/celebratepride or by tapping on the Edit button on your own profile picture. Additionally, you might also see a special animation on top of your News Feed if you happen to react to our message!
React with Pride
You may see a colorful, limited-edition Pride Reaction during Pride Month. When you choose this temporary rainbow reaction, you’ll be expressing your “Pride” to the post. People in major markets with Pride celebrations will be able to use a temporary rainbow reaction during Pride month. You can also like this page to access the reaction, however, because this is a new experience we’ve been testing, the rainbow reaction will not be available everywhere.
Brighten Up Your Photos
In Facebook Camera, you can find some new colorful, Pride-themed masks and frames. If you swipe to the left of News Feed, click on the magic wand to bring up camera effects and you’ll be able to find the effects in the mask and frame category.
Support an LGBTQ Cause
In the US, start a Facebook Fundraiser or donate to your favorite LGBTQ cause. On Facebook, you can raise money for a nonprofit or people — for yourself, a friend or someone or something not on Facebook.
Facebook isn’t the only place to celebrate the cause. All across our entire family of apps, you will have the opportunity to show your support:
Join the #KindComments Movement on Instagram
The photo sharing app is committed to fostering a safer and kinder community, and this June will be turning walls in major US cities into colorful beacons of LGBTQ support where you can leave supportive comments on your posts. You can also celebrate Pride and be creative with stickers and a rainbow brush.
Frame Up with Pride on Messenger
During Pride month, you can add some love to your conversations with friends and family with Pride-themed stickers, frames, and effects in the Messenger Camera.
Our Commitment and Participation
Facebook has long been a supporter of LGBTQ rights, through our products, policies and benefits to our employees. Not only will we be a part of Pride activities in more than 20 cities around the world, including in San Francisco, where we first marched in 2011, but we will also celebrate with our employees by hosting events and discussions, as well as by draping the Facebook monument outside the Menlo Park headquarters in the rainbow flag, as the company has done each year since 2012.
Our commitment and support of the LGBTQ community has been unwavering. From our support of marriage equality and bullying prevention, to the many product experiences that we’ve brought to life, we are proud of our attention to the LGBTQ experience on Facebook, often thanks to the many LGBTQ people and allies who work here.
Last year, for the first time ever, we began publicly sharing self-reported data around our LGBTQ community at Facebook. In a recent, voluntary survey of our employees in the US about sexual orientation and gender identity, to which 67% responded, 7% self-identified as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender or asexual. We are proud to support the LGBTQ community, and while more work still remains, we are eager to be active partners going forward.
Happy Pride!