Apple introduces new ‘gender diverse’ emojis for iOS 10, replaces gun with water pistol
The tech company added dozens of characters that will be available on iPhones and iPads, including a rainbow flag and women in competitive sports.
Tech major Apple on Monday released more than a hundred new emojis for iOS 10, in attempt to be more gender inclusive and also appeared to take a stand on gun violence. According to the Apple website, the new emojis include “new female athletes and professions”, more family options such as single parents, and a rainbow flag in support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer rights.
A particularly talked-about new feature is a water pistol emoji, which replaces the gun with a benign-looking green water pistol. Gun violence is the subject of major debate in the United States, with the country’s generous gun laws often being blamed for the large number of mass shootings and gun deaths that have taken place over the years.
The new emojis will be available on the iPhone and the iPad. Apple said in a statement, “Apple is working closely with the Unicode Consortium to ensure that popular emoji characters reflect the diversity of people everywhere.”