Many people choose their names, for a lot of different reasons. Maybe they’re transitioning their genders but haven’t yet changed the paperwork. Maybe they have upstanding day-jobs and don’t want their bosses to find out about their private lives. Maybe they don’t trust Facebook’s porous and ever-changing privacy standards. Maybe they have abusive exes. Maybe they have families ashamed of their existences. Maybe they’re in the closet. All of these choices ought to be respected. And the fact that this policy is, for whatever reason, singling out queers for marginalization, dehumanization, and public exposure should make Facebook ashamed of itself. It’s bad enough that a drag queen can’t use her chosen name. Just wait until a closeted kid is outed to his parents. Facebook is a corporation, so unless there’s a smoking gun that proves it’s targeting queers, there’s not much people can do except complain—or leave. Hopefully, advocates for LGBT people, victims of abuse, and all those who choose to self-define and self-identify can convince Facebook to do the right thing. If not, I hope the drag queens’ fierceness is unleashed for real—and we all head over to Google+.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 23:09:51 +0000
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