 "Facebook and Google show their support after DOMA decision")
Facebook has come up with a new rainbow emoji or emoticon to commemorate the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), according to Mashable. The landmark decisions were twin pronged, as the Supreme Court not only struck down the 1996 law, which prevented federal recognition of gay marriage, but also allowed gay marriage to resume in California.
Facebook users can show their support for the decision by clicking on the smiley-face image that appears below their status-update box, which will now give the option to select a rainbow icon. The icon will indicate “pride” and can be found under the “feeling” drop-down menu. The social network confirmed with Mashable that the new icon was launched due to the DOMA decision.
Facebook has come up with a new rainbow emoticon to mark the DOMA decision (Image credit: learn-digit-marketing)
According to the report, the rainbow icon as well as the words “feeling pride” will appear after selection next to a user’s name. In some cases, the additions will appear next to the user’s status-update message.
It does not seem like the new icon can be accessed by all Facebook users, though. As of now, the only reported instances of this new icon surfacing are coming from the US. Facebook has reportedly been testing the use of emoticons in status updates for a while now. And with the newest icon being released, it looks like Facebook is definitely giving users more and more ways to express themselves.
Facebook is not the only company that is marking this historic moment in its own way. Search engine giant Google commemorated the decision by releasing a dedicated Easter egg.
If users put in related keywords in the search bar, such as “gay marriage”, “homosexuality”, “domestic partnership” or even “gay” for that matter, Google’s search box transforms and features the iconic LGBT rights movement’s rainbow colouring.
Google commemorated the DOMA decision with a dedicated Easter egg
However, Google is doing a lot more than just marking the occasion. The subtle Easter egg is part of a month-long celebration as part of the Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. And this is not the first time Google has been vocal about its support for marriage equality and LGBT rights. Since 2009, Google has been coming up with versions of the rainbow logo, and a lot of Google Doodles have also been featured around famous gay icons like Maurice Sendak, Keith Haring and Alan Turing.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Supreme Court was reported to have overturned DOMA in a 5-4 vote. DOMA defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman for the purposes of federal law, which the LGBT community opposed.
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