Facebook added two new relationship status options Thursday: “in a civil union” and “in a domestic partnership.” The social networking site’s repertoire of relationship statuses already includes “single,” “married” and “in a relationship,” among others. The changes drew praise from students associated with Northwestern’s LGBT Resource Center and the Rainbow Alliance.
“It’s about time, honestly,” said Chris Garcia, the student supervisor of the LGBT Resource Center. “It seems like it’s a recognition of same-sex relationships and more evidence that times are changing and people’s minds are opening.”
Garcia, a Medill junior, said the addition of these options is necessary because marriage equality is still in the process of becoming a reality, and civil unions or domestic partnerships are the correct terms for those types of relationships.
“Facebook historically likes to define things,” he said. “It’s nice that they adapted their definitions to the legal changes that are out there.”
Other LGBT Resource Center student employees said they feel similarly.
Resource Assistant Amy Pooley said the new options are especially relevant to this area because Illinois now allows civil unions. She also said the new options don’t only apply to gay relationships – straight people can be in a domestic partnership as well, she said. The options also provide social validity for relationships that might not be codified in law, such as domestic partnerships.
“It reflects the multiple kinds of relationships people have,” the SESP senior said.
Still, Garcia said he would like to see Facebook represent relationships with multiple partners, especially considering many college students are polyamorous.
For Zach Wichter, the Associated Student Government senator for Rainbow Alliance, the new options are bittersweet. He said they are a positive improvement because people can now more accurately represent their appropriate relationship status, but still reflect a larger struggle for marriage equality in America.
“I wish we didn’t need those categories because I believe gay people should be able to marry,” the Medill sophomore said. “But until that happens, it’s good people can choose an option that accurately represents their status.”
The new options will be available in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Australia, according to a news release issued Thursday by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which advocated the change.
