For the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, being “closeted” has long been an issue. Now according to Facebook, social media is creating a new space for coming out.
A study by Facebook earlier this month found that three times as many people will come out on the site this year than last, according to USA Today. A new Facebook feature introduced last year allows people to designate a custom gender, and Facebook users can also set or change their profile to express same-gender attraction. Users choosing either setting qualified as “coming out” for the study.
Six million Facebook users in the U.S. identify as LGBT, with 800,000 coming out on the site last year. In June, on the say the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality, Facebook saw a 250 percent spike in users coming out.
Additionally, in the days following the ruling, 26 million Facebook users changed their profile picture, adding a rainbow display in solidarity with the LGBT rights movement.
A spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign Foundation told USA Today that the social media changes reflect the growing trend towards LGBT equality, and noted that social media also provides an important tool for the social change movement.