LGBT Pride Season is just around the corner, but it looks like Facebook won’t be taking part this year…
This past September, San Francisco drag legend Sister Roma began the first public dialogues in what has turned into a nearly 8-month battle against the social media giant’s Real Name Policy – a policy that has overwhelmingly affected drag queens and trans women. Now, Sister Roma has brought the still unresolved issue back to the forefront with her latest maneuver to combat Facebook’s terrible policy. #NoPrideForFacebook
SEE ALSO: “Fuck You Facebook!” Drag Queens Outraged After Being Forced to Use Real Names
Yesterday afternoon, Sister Roma took to her Facebook profile and page to announce a new petition, started by her fellow San Francisco drag queen Lil Miss Hot Mess, which attempts to ban Facebook from attending both San Francisco and New York pride festivals – Facebook has previously been applauded for their involvement in LGBT pride festivals, and Mark Zuckerberg even made an appearance on the Facebook float at San Francisco Pride in 2013.
How about we take this to the next level?
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“Facebook continues to allow members of the LGBT community to be maliciously targeted and reported based on identity,” reads the petition introduction. “Our accounts are being unfairly suspended and we’re being forced to “prove” who we are. Many of us, especially trans men and women, do not have any government issued ID that reflects our authentic identity. Our community is disappearing from Facebook — and they’re letting it happen. Do not let them march in our parade! ?#?MyNameIs? #NoPrideForFacebook”
This past December, I had the pleasure to speak with Sister Roma about the issue and she admitted it was still wildly unresolved, even following an apology from Chris Cox, Facebook’s chief product officer. She noted that Facebook informed her that they would grant people the right to use alternate names, but only if it was the name that they publicly identified with. So much for that…
Since that time, more than a dozen drag entertainers have reached out to Dragaholic directly, frustrated that they had been forced to change their names on Facebook after receiving notifications that their names may not be “authentic.” Since none of them have a state identification card or drivers license to prove their drag name is their “real name,” they have all been forced to alter their name or change it to their boy name.
Really Facebook? Gurl, put yourself together!
SEE ALSO: Drag Queen Legally Changes Name to Dodge Facebook’s Real Name Policy
7 Ways You Can Help Fight Facebook’s ‘Real Name Policy’
- Sign the petition
- Share the petition
- Tweet your concerns to @Facebook on Twitter using the hashtags #MyNameIs and #NoPrideForFacebook
- Call Facebook at 650-543-4800 and share your concerns
- Email your concerns to [email protected]
- Mail a letter to Facebook Headquarters, 156 University Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301-1605
- Share this article on all your social media channels
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PlebisPlebojis
It’s not just people who use pseudonyms, many are disabled just for having an unusual name. I used my REAL NAME and my account has been disabled for 6 MONTHS, even though i sent them my ID to prove it’s real, they just ignore it and never give any explanation!
I absolutely depend on this account for many things, and of course you’re not allowed to make a new account anyway. If there’s anyone who can help me get it back, please reply.