Interracial couples may finally be included in the next set of emoji. A proposal submitted to the Unicode Consortium requests that there be five different skin tones applied to the emoji of two people standing next to each other and holding hands.
The proposal includes emoji of interracial same-sex and mixed sex couples. It comes after users have long called for the Unicode Consortium to create emoji that reflect all different kinds of relationships, including interracial ones.
‘The lack of representation for diverse racial identities is a significant issue in an increasingly globalised society,’ the proposal states.
‘With this problem gaining increased media attention, and since efforts have already been made to ensure the representation of non-heteronormative sexual identities, now seems an appropriate cultural moment to give people the opportunity to see themselves in the emoji world.
Popular dating app Tinder was listed as one of the co-creators of the proposal. Tinder and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian originally created a petition urging the Unicode Consortium to consider adding interracial couples to the upcoming set of emoji. The Unicode Consortium establishes the worldwide standard of emoji for all platforms.
The proposal notes how common interracial couples have become, citing a Pew Research study that says about 17 percent of new marriages and 20 percent of cohabiting relationships in the US are interracial or interethnic. Unicode Consortium has added several other widely-requested emoji in recent years.
Earlier this year, in celebration of World Emoji Day, Apple announced it would add red-headed characters as part of a batch of 70 new emoji.
Grey-haired, bald and curly-haired characters are joined by several new animals including a lobster, kangaroo, parrot and peacock.
Other highlights include new smileys, with a cold face, party face, pleading face and a face with hearts all featured in the latest update.
The new batch of characters will roll-out to Apple devices across the globe later this year as part of a free iOS software upgrade, the Cupertino-based company confirmed.
A new proposal urges Unicode to finally introduce interracial couple emoji.
It requests five different skin tones be added to emoji of couples holding hands.
Earlier this year, popular dating app Tinder and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian created a petition that called on Unicode to introduce interracial emoji