Apple has just released new gender-neutral emojis

The latest drop includes a transgender flag emoji for the first time

Brand new emojis are now available after the release of iOS 14.2. Apple has furthered its previous commitment to inclusion, debuting a transgender flag in its emoji list. The flag was first created by American trans woman Monica Helms in 1999 and made its debut at the Arizona Pride Parade in Phoenix in 2000. The three colours include baby blue representing boys, baby pink for girls, as well as white for those who are transitioning, intersex or consider themselves as having an unidentified gender.

🆕 iOS 14.2 is out now with 117 new emojis including bubble tea, transgender flag, anatomical heart and smiling face with tear https://t.co/8WvImq397b pic.twitter.com/T7LLPwF973

— Emojipedia (@Emojipedia) November 5, 2020

Tuxedo emojis are now gender-neutral in the new update.

Likewise, bridal emojis have been supplemented by gender-inclusive options. There is a gender-neutral default, and also options for a man wearing a veil as well as a woman wearing suit.

Single fathers can also enjoy a more inclusive emoji set: the bottle-feeding emoji now has the option of a man or gender-neutral person feeding a baby, whereas before the only option for bottle-feeding featured a female character. This allows iOS 14.2 users to break away from gender stereotypes.

The gender-neutrality even extends to Christmas, with alternatives for 🎅 (Santa Claus) and 🤶 (Mrs Claus). The new emoji is simply a person wearing a Christmas hat, which is neither a woman or a man.

The update also featured ‘pandemic-friendly’ option, which is an updated 😷 (face with medical mask) with smiling eyes on the masked face, which was first seen in beta releases last month.

Users can now access 3,292 emojis in total, 117 new ones, thanks to the update.