Celebrate and Support International Non-Binary People’s Day Using New Features Available on Messenger and Instagram
- Messenger, Instagram & Messenger Kids release new expression features and artwork in honor of International Non-Binary People’s Day to connect authentically
- Today, the Head of Messenger, Loredana Crisan, sat down with leading LGBTQ+ non-profit The Trevor Project in addition to Jess Warren, Learning Ops Manager and Co-Lead of Meta’s Underrepresented@ Employee Resource Group to discuss how to be an ally inside and outside of the workplace. Watch the full discussion here.
- In our ongoing efforts to build trusted spaces where people can feel confident to express themselves authentically, we want to hear from you! Vote on which chat theme you would like to see next here in honor of National Coming Out Day in October.
In 2021, more than one in four LGBTQ+ youth identified as non-binary, and an additional 20% said they are not sure or are questioning whether they identify as non-binary (The Trevor Project). Yet many non-binary youth do not have access to gender-affirming, supportive spaces and communities to express themselves freely and authentically.
Learn How to Be an Ally With The Trevor Project
Messenger is committed to building the safest private messaging experience that gives the growing LBGTQ+ community and its allies a trusted space to open up with confidence. Today, we’re celebrating International Non-Binary People’s Day through the release of new expression tools, including an all-new non-binary chat theme, sticker pack and word effects, in addition to new shortcuts available to easily access these new features.
Earlier today, the Head of Messenger Loredana Crisan (she/her), Sam Ames (they/he), Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project and Jess Warren (they/them), Learning Ops Manager and Co-Lead of Meta’s Underrepresented@ Employee Resource Group, sat down to discuss ways to support the non-binary and questioning members of LGBTQ+ community, what it means to be an ally, and how to make work culture more gender-inclusive.
To view the full discussion, check out Meta’s LGBTQ@ Facebook page here.
Connect Authentically on Messenger
Starting today, you can try out several new expression features celebrating non-binary people on Messenger that help you support one another and show allyship.
- In partnership with The Trevor Project, Messenger is releasing five new word effects tied to the new Non-Binary Chat Theme to level up your convos with friends and family. Once you activate the chat theme, which features the colors of the non-binary flag, try out Beautiful 💜, Non-Binary 💛, Genderqueer 🤍, Ally 💕and Inclusion 💟 to connect authentically on Messenger and celebrate Non-Binary People’s Day with your crew.
- Try out the new “I Am Me” camera and in-thread sticker pack, designed by London-based, non-binary artist and creator Wednesday Holmes (they/them), to encourage love and support – now available on both Messenger and Messenger Kids.
- We’ve also launched two new shortcuts on Messenger – /theme and /sticker – to help you easily access your favorite expression features. Simply type “/” to pull up the command picker and see the full menu of shortcuts available to select the one you want to use!
We Want to Hear from You!
In our ongoing efforts to connect authentically on Messenger, we’re excited to share that Messenger is polling the next chat theme to be unveiled in October ahead of National Coming Out Day on October 11. Vote on the LGBTQ+ chat theme you would like to see represented next here.
From all of us at Messenger, wishing you a happy International Non-Binary People’s Day!
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Accessing Non-Binary Expression Features
- “I Am Me” Stickers (Messenger + Messenger Kids)
- Threaded Stickers: Tap the smiley face in the text field, select the sticker icon and search for “I Am Me.” You can also use the new sticker shortcut (Messenger iOS only) by typing “/” to pull up the command picker, selecting “/sticker”, and type in the topic of your choice (ex: “/sticker non-binary”) and select a sticker from the options presented.
- Camera Stickers: Take a photo or video and tap the smiley face sticker icon to access the camera stickers.
- Non-Binary Chat Theme (Messenger + Instagram): Open a chat thread, access your chat settings, tap “Theme” and select the Non-Binary chat theme. You can also use the new chat theme shortcut (Messenger iOS and Android) by typing “/” and tapping “/theme” from the command picker to pull up the list of available chat themes.
- Non-Binary Word Effects (Messenger): Activate the Non-Binary chat theme to automatically populate your chat with the five new non-binary word effects – Beautiful 💜, Non-Binary 💛, Genderqueer 🤍, Ally 💕and Inclusion 💟. Just type the word in a message and send. To add your own word effect, go to thread details and tap “Word Effects” to add your chosen words/phrases and associated emojis.