Social media giant, Facebook, added two new relationship statuses to its list: “in a civil union” and “in a domestic partnership.” They are now available alongside all of Facebook’s other relationship statuses, such as “single,” “in a relationship,” “married,” and “it’s complicated.”
This addition has been highly requested for a fair amount of time, and numerous gay rights groups met with the company in support of the change.
CNN International quoted the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which announced the change on Thursday. The effect of the change is captured in a statement by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation president, Jarrett Barrios: “By acknowledging the relationships of countless loving and committed same-sex couples in the U.S. and abroad, Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion for social media.”
This option is now available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, bringing the option to over 600 million users.