Um, it's finally happening.
We're getting a transgender flag emoji - and very soon.
The official emojipedia blog made the announcement this morning, with the trans flag making up just one of 117 new emojis being rolled out, after the Unicode Consortium - which maintains and publishes the Unicode Standard - approved the pink, white and blue flag following years of campaign efforts.
Other new additions include a new empathetic hug emoji, a gender-inclusive person wearing a tuxedo, and a gender inclusive person wearing a veil - which we're sure will get a workout come gay wedding season. Other inclusion announced are the 'Italian Hand Gesture' emoji as well as a gender-inclusive version of Santa Claus and Mrs. Clause - appropriately titled Mx. Clause.
According to the announcement, the additions form part of "an ongoing effort to make [a] more consistent set of gender options across the board."
Last year, a group of trans campaigners in the UK began using the 'lobster' emoji in place of the non-existant transgender flag emoji, after the lobster emoji was approved by Unicode but the trans flag emoji was not.
"Even though it’s one of the most requested emojis," the campaign's petition states.
"Emojis are a way for the world to connect, and trans people shouldn’t be left out of the conversation.
"Unicode granted the Lobster emoji proposal, which argued that people suffered ‘frustration and confusion’ at having to use a shrimp or crab emoji in instead of a lobster. Imagine if that was your gender."
