Apple recently started rolling out an iOS 15.4 beta software update for iPhone developers and testers that introduced some new features, including a pregnant man emoji. The company’s decision to include the emoji comes after these emojis were revealed by the Unicode Consortium, a non-profit body that regulates how these emojis appear online. The industry body also releases new emojis each year that Android and iOS smartphones include with the latest software updates. It appears the inclusion of the pregnant man emoji has stirred controversy as Republican leaders and right-wing commentators indirectly deem it unnatural.
Why did Unicode include the pregnant man emoji in the first place?
Unicode released 37 new emoji codes back in September 2021 as a part of the Unicode 14.0 database. It included emojis like “melting face," “biting lip", “troll", “beans", “pouring liquid", “pregnant man", and “pregnant person." The pregnant man and gender-neutral pregnant emojis were included to boost efforts to make “gender options consistent" for all emojis, Emojipedia – an emoji reference and tracking website. The website quoting a senior Emoji Lexicographer Jane Solomon notes, “The new pregnancy options may be used for representation by trans men, non-binary people, or women with short hair… People of any gender can be pregnant too. Now there are emojis to represent this.
What are people saying online?
Following the update, Sean Spicer, who served as White House Press Secretary to Donald Trump and the current host of right-wing Newsmax network, mocked Apple’s decision. In a tweet, he said, “In college I satisfied the science requirement by taking geology — now I see what I missed — those biology classes would have helped explain the new pregnant man emoji."
Another Republican leader Lauren Boebert said, “The same week the Left is begging to cancel @JoeRogan for “misinformation", @Apple creates a pregnant man emoji. I just can’t," The Business Insider reported.
In the real world, men can very easily get pregnant if they don’t take proper precautions. Watch out, guys. It could happen to you. Apple’s new iPhone update includes a reminder of this: a pregnant man emoji. pic.twitter.com/2oyl8BW1aZ— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 29, 2022
Apple’s new pregnant man emoji. Words fail me. #TheWorldsGoneNuts pic.twitter.com/FY7brjYU6l— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 29, 2022
Apple is rolling out a pregnant man emoji – but Joe Rogan is labeled anti-science misinformation for allowing doctors to speak.— ???????? From the Desk of Kat ???????????? (@KittyKatStaxx00) January 29, 2022
New Apple pregnant man emoji.We’ve reached a new level of idiocy.
Men don’t become pregnant with children. They raise them, love them, nurture them, challenge them. But they don’t birth them. pic.twitter.com/xcPnGLhh4Z
— Clay Smith (@claysmith79) January 29, 2022
Notably, notable TV anchor Tucker Carlson who is known for his support for Republicans dedicated a segment on the pregnant man emoji on air. He also tweeted about the development and sarcastically remarked, “In the real world, men can very easily get pregnant if they don’t take proper precautions. Watch out, guys. It could happen to you."
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