The world’s largest social network has decided to move forward with deleting all LGBT Facebook profiles who do not change their personal profile names to their legal names during a two week grace period.
The decision comes after Facebook agreed to meet with a group of drag queen activists on Wednesday to discuss Facebook’s recent campaign to delete hundreds of drag queen profiles who are using their “stage names” or chosen names on their Facebook accounts.
Facebook’s policy stipulates that a name displayed on a personal account must be “your real name as it would be listed on your credit card, driver’s license or student ID.”
“We had a good discussion with the group about their perspectives on our real name standard, and we stressed how the standard helps prevent bad behavior, while creating a safer and more accountable environment,” said Facebook spokesperson Andrew Souvall in a statement.
“We’ve decided to temporarily reactivate the profiles of several hundred members of the LGBT community whose profiles were recently deactivated,” Souvall continued. “This will give them a chance to decide how they’d like to represent themselves on Facebook. Over the next two weeks, we hope that they will decide to confirm their real name, change their name to their real name, or convert their profile to a Page.”
Buzzfeed notes:
Activists have raised similar concerns for transgender users who could be at risk if they no longer identify with the names they were given at birth and use chosen names on their Facebook profiles. Many transgender people, especially transgender youth, may not be able to legally change their names and provide proof of the name they identity with if asked by Facebook. And for some transgender users, being outed by having to use their legal names could be dangerous, the activists said.
“This issue is discriminatory against transgender and other nonconforming individuals who have often escaped a painful past,” reads a Change.org petition. “They’ve reinvented themselves or been born again and made whole, adopting names and identities that do not necessarily match that on their driver’s license.”
“We didn’t get the whole issue solved by any means,” said Sister Roma, who brought the issue to light last week. “Facebook refuses to to acknowledge there is a problem with the policy.”
The DailyDot thinks Facebook is deleting accounts for a different reason:
Some believe that the action isn’t a bigoted one, but one driven by monetary gain. If the site forces performers to migrate to fan pages, they’ll have to start dolling out cash to Facebook for higher billing and promoted posts on fans News Feeds. In a post encouraging performers to purchase sponsored posts Facebook admits a non-promoted post only reaches about 16 percent of fans on average. “Honestly I feel it is about your profile matching your credit card—it’s all about money,” Roma said.
Sister Roma shared the following statement on Facebook on Wednesday:
Facebook refuses to agree that the legal name policy is unfair and discriminatory.
They acknowledged that although Facebook has the legal name policy they do not enforce it.
They acknowledged that the current rash of suspended and deleted profiles have been under attack by users of the Facebook community who report the profiles for using “fake” names. Once a page is flagged it is reviewed by living human beings who police the site all over the world. If they determine that the person is not using their legal name on their page it is suspended for being in violation of the Facebook terms of use agreement.
While we could not get them to budge on the actual policy they did seem more open to considering that there are flaws in the complaint review process.
We met with Susan Gonzales, a public liason, and via skype with Monika, the person in charge of content policy. We also meet with members of the Facebook LGBT alliance. The purpose of this meeting was to establish an open dialogue and that’s what happened. I was very impressed by our team. Everyone spoke very eloquently and intelligently. Our broad community was well represented by David Campos, Steven Heklina Grygelko BeBe Sweetbriar, Tom Temprano, 3, Carmen, Nadia Kayyali, Dottielux Smith, Trisha Fogleman, Matt Cagle, Gabriel Haaland, Lil Miss Hot Mess, Alex U Alex U. Inn. Adam from Scott Wiener’s office and Mark Snyder of the Transgender Law Center. Thank you all for your passion and dedication
We left the meeting with an agreement that they would continue to meet with us to further hear our concerns and work together to find a compromise.
Conversations with LGBT employees of Facebook after the meeting left me feeling a little more hopeful. They hinted that this issue has been raised internally and there have been heated debates on both sides of the legal name policy. We definitely have allies working “on the inside.”
Shortly after the meeting Facebook announced that they would reinstate profiles of members of the LGBT community that had recently been targeted, suspended or removed. The statement further goes on to say that Facebook hopes that within 2 weeks time the users will either confirm their real identity, change to their legal names, or move to a fan page. While at first glance this seems like a grand show of support for our community it is actually a completely hollow gesture. Basically they offered to give us our profiles back so that two weeks later they could suspend them, demand we comply to their unfair and discriminatory policy, and if not, take them away again. This is completely unacceptable.
To Facebook this is an issue of broader consequence that could take years to review, rewrite or rescind. We do not have that kind of time. Our communities profiles and identities are disappearing daily. We could be wiped out entirely in a short period of time. If we do not get adequate action from Facebook in a few weeks time I would say that we’re ready to go back to our original idea and hold a protest at their campus. They might be able to wipe us off Facebook but they’ll know we’re still here!
We will not rest until not only drag queens, but everyone, has the right to CHOOSE how they wish to be identified on Facebook.
Stay tuned. This is not over! #MyNameIsRoma
RuPaul’s Drag Race season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio, posted this Facebook message on Wednesday in response to the Facebook’s “real name” controversy: “Just in case….. My legal name is CUNT.“
115 Readers Commented
Join discussionI think Facebook’s policy on using real names is, in general, a good thing. However, as this article shows it just isn’t as simple as a black and white policy. I have some friends who use dumb joke names, and that actually is a bit annoying and I’d rather they didn’t. However, I am also friends with a few famous people who use FB for social reasons and need to use a fake name so as to hide from stalky fans (they have official fan pages for the public persona side of things).
The drag queen issues is interesting. Personally, I think that if the profile is their commercial persona (rather than their offstage self just connecting with actual friends and family) then they ought to use a Page like other businesses enterprises do for that.
As for transgender, yes FB really need to find a way to allow this.
Facebook needs To understand that people change there name to not be contacted
Or hacked by the press or other members of public that may not like there entertainment
And some people only know drag queens by there stage name
If face book do this to drag queens then they should do it to celebrateys who use stage names to it’s the same thing
If celebrateys have the right to used a stage name on Facebook so should every one
I do Drag for Charity with a group that’s been doing charity for 35yrs. I don’t wish to crisscross my regular profile with my drag persona because it’s two aspects of my life that i prefer to keep seperate. This is ridiculous.
I am someone who does not like using my real name on facebook, people are creeps and having all of your info can be dangerous, I use a preferred first name on facebook for safety.. it is not right of Facebook to be so gun ho.. just because someone wants to use a different name.. it’s so stupid and immature. They need to let people do them, be who they are.
“In a post encouraging performers to purchase sponsored posts Facebook admits a non-promoted post only reaches about 16 percent of fans on average.”
That 16% is so 2012 – it’s old news! Facebook acknowledged they reduced that rate do “less than 2%” early this year. So after you’ve earned 100 “fans” or people who “Like” your Official Public Facebook Persona-Page, only 2 of them will see a given post of yours, on average, unless you pay up or dumb-down your post to make it viral.
They make you pay for what used to happen organically. Since the change in algorhytms what used to be a 1000+ new fans on my artist fanpage every week now actually drops off unless I am ver very active. I constantly get comments like “You are back, not seen anything of yours for months” that ‘s after I have been posting new pictures virtually every day. Not happy with facebook any more but have 150,000 fans so am reluctant to leave.
dear Bill, thank you for your comment. It brings to light what I believe is the real reason behind this. Facebook has been overcome by greed! A few weeks ago, before this happened, I had the Matress Discounters jingle stuck in my head when I awoke that morning, so I posted this to my status:
“have a good night’s sleep on us…”
2 or 3 mins later the ads I was shown in my newsfeed changed from whatever the heck they had been to nothing but mattress store ads. It’s been nearly a month and I’m still seeing them.
I decided this weekend that I would shut down my account on the first . But now I’m reconsidering because it really has become my only way to connect with many of my childhood, current and potential future friends! It’s become to big to fail! Maybe they’re hoping this will lead the to a free bailout.
#FuckThemInThereFacbook
#MyNameIs SisterDharma!
LOL I meant, #FuckThemInTheirFaceBook!
Dear Rulers of FACEBOOKISTAN, the third most populous “nation ” of the world …….
If we queer-folk, the collective TBGLQI Community , comprises roughly at least 10% of all people, shouldn’t you rethink your scenario~? I mean, what if 10% TEN PER CENT of your up-till-now loyal citizens boycott & girlcott FB ~~ your advertising customers aren’t gonna like such a groundswell of unhappiness.
Facebook, stop trying to screw the Queer Community in the name of internet safety, cuz we’re on the verge of throwing FB away under its own sputtering bus for “missing Life’s Bus” where it matters, that we (all) are who we are. Period.
“girlcott?” you’ve got to be fucking kidding me
16% of your audience? That’s a bold face lie. I run a page and I’m not even averaging less than half a percent for reach on posts. Facebook is digging it’s own grave by reducing page reach and it’s terrible policies. Don’t be a fool and pay them for anything because the system is rigged.
Open your eyes to the fraud! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfHeWTKjag
I guess it’s back to my myspace
That would have been a fantastic idea…
…in 2005.
I don’t think anyone should be made to use their name if they don’t want to. There are so many more disgusting things to worry about and animals being abused is one of them.Those horrible things get posted all the time and nothing is done. Children get abused in every single city, town, burrough and municipality and village in the world. Why doesn’t fb want to help put the word out!? They seem to sensationalize it all by all of the videos. We want action not videos! Just sayin!
Is this really real!? Come on! Just as progress gets further and further, here’s another bump in the road for my brothers and sisters! What a dumb fucking move for any company of any kind.
They are giving the option to convert the profiles to Pages… Why is there such an issue with this? If you don’t like the rule, then don’t use Facebook… Simple…
I don’t eat Olives, and if I am at a restaurant and a dish has them, I ask for no Olives, if the waiter advises they don’t do alterations I pick something else to eat instead… Maybe they should use another social networking site?
Dan there is an issue because the Fan pages are severely limited. They control and restrict a fan pages organic reach (to its own followers draconian style) A post to a fan page used to reach only 16% of the pages fans. This year, Facebook admits to reducing that reach to 2%. And in reality, many pages can only reach less than 1% of their fans organically.
If you pay them, of course, you can buy more reach. But their pricing is steep and for people like myself (disabled, unemployed, scraping by as it is and going hungry several times a month because rent and other expenses have eaten up all my money, it is simply not possible to pay for posts.
As a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence I’ve taken authentic, life long vows to serve my community as a 21st century, queer nun. It is all volunteer. We receive no stipends, payments, or rewards. In fact we have to pay for everything we use in our ministry…makeup, clothing, etc. but as a sister even broke ass me has the chance to give back and make a positive impact on the community. But Facebook is an extremely important tool. It allows me to let people know of fundraisers I have coming up and it has enhanced my relationships with countless community members offline as well as online. But they have taken this ability to serve away from me. They are too big to fail and they know it. This is all about the bottom line for them and they’re willing to essentially defund countless nonprofit, community benefit projects and organizations whom I would be raising money for. They are willing sacrifice people who are most vulnerable and dependent on the help of others so they can sell the networks we’ve built to us at very high prices. And they refuse to acknowledge the many, varied and absolutely real ways their policy is harming not just the LGBTQ community, but a plethora of others as well.
I am so angered by their callousness that I would dedicate on the graves if I ever got the chance! What they’re doing is selfish, greedy, harmful, dangerous and disgusting! And I could give a damn about their TOS or about any argument which rationalizes their behavior on the grounds of a corporations unrestrained rights to fuck people over for profit. Because if you take away the company you are left with the employees—humans. There is a certain decency and accountability we need to live up to as humans, whether or not we’re acting on behalf of a company or ourselves. And they are failing terribly right now! I’ve read literally thousand of worried comments from such a diversity of people it’s ranged from mental health patients and providers, political/social activists in terrifyingly oppressive countries, performers, teachers, domestic violence and rape survivors, the list goes on. If you still refuse to acknowledge this reality you can kiss my ass as well.
We need to wake up people! Regardless of our skin tone. Geographic location, language or any other quality, we are all one family here on this planet and we need to treat each other as such. Time is seriously running out! Humanity will not survive much longer by keeping the status quo!
I suppose you think it’s perfectly alright for the Koch brothers and other vested interests, like fossil fuel companies, etc to purchase scientific/academic studies, legislation, and all other manner of deception so they can continue to stack their money higher and higher at the expense of the disenfranchised 99% rest of us? Well, wake up man, cuz their doing it to you as well. Take an honest look, I mean an honest look and you’ll see it too.
May peace be with you always!
In service
#MyNameIs #SisterDharma Gettin’!
I agree with the policy of using the legal names. I am a part of several parenting groups on FB and there is constantly problems with people setting up fake profiles to get into groups and cause trouble until they get caught. Allowing fake names to be used allows criminals, pedophiles, etc easier access around FB. There is no way to completely rid people like that off of FB, but requiring the use of legal names at least brings it down some, because then they have nothing to hide behind to do their dirty business.
So my transgender ex-girlfriend, who is unable to change her legal name because her country’s laws suck, should be forced to use her male birth name rather than the name she identifies with? How does forcing people like her to obliterate their own identities making anyone safer?
Not every pedophile is a molester and not everyone using their real name can be trusted. I think having it contained to online is better than having it be done in person. Since ya know statistics show that most children who have been molested were molested by people they know e.g. Family, Friends of Family, etc.
Maybe instead of blaming everyone for the lack of parenting you get on the parents ass about not monitoring their child’s internet activity and outdoor activity while actually teaching them the dangers out speaking to strangers in certain situations.
You really believe this rule punishes people like that and protects others? not to sound rude but if you are truly that naive I have a bridge to sell you in brooklyn
that rule will not stop criminals and pedos and others out to do harm. I’m sorry but it just won’t. instead it hurts people. people who are not out to harm anyone. try to keep it on a more real level those criminals almost always trip themselves up and reveal themselves anyway. be ready when they do and report em.
It is not designed to stop them. It is designed to hold people accountable for their actions. If I use an anon profile and commit a crime there is little to no hope in tracing me. If I am forced to use my legal name then it provides an avenue in which I can be traced for any crime committed.
This sort of policy does not stamp out crime – it acts as a deterrant. It protects innocent people by ensuring that, if they are the victim of a crime via interactions on Facebook, that the offender is, to some degree, traceable.
I hope they quit doing this period because there are people..like myself…who created a false name for protection from stalkers. If they force people to use their birth name then what good is facebook…what is the point..
We cannot take this sitting down.
hello people who have been abused or raped or are not out need to have a place where they can be free.
Not trying to sound insensitive, just matter of fact – Facebook is only one aspect of social media. Don’t act like it’s the end of the world – start your own social media website for the GLBT community, move to MySpace or LiveJournal or something else. There are options but people these days have a sense of entitlement that will not allow them to see the alternatives. There is no RIGHT TO USE FACEBOOK. You agree to terms and conditions and you agree that if you fail to comply then your account will be suspended. Word yourself up on policies BEFORE you sign up to something and don’t complain when a company excercises THEIR right to suspend your account for not following the rules..
That would be great if Facebook wasn’t the most widely used site. I’m not going to a brand new site where none of my friends are going to be on. And that comment about making an LGBT only website is so extremely insensitive and ignorant. It’s not like we only have LGBT friends. Stop trying to put us on an island.
But EVERYBODY is on Facebook. Many are only on Facebook. Right now there is no replacing it. I’ll prove it right now. I challenge you Lee. Back up your pictures and things and delete your Facebook and thus you connection to your entire Facebook network, friends, family, etc tomorrow. Let me know how many of the. Deleted theirs as well and followed you to whatever social network you decide to move to. It won’t happen. And you’ll have lost your entire network. Hopefully you aren’t a volunteer fundraiser or community activist because if you are, you have just deleted your effectiveness I. Those fields as a by product. So go ahead, you’re challenged. You can email me the results of this experiment at [email protected] blessings to you namaste!
THE ESSENCE IS THIS..IF STEP ONTO A STAGE TO PERFORM..YOU ARE ENTITLED TO BE A PERFORMER WITH A STAGE NAME…YOU IDENTIFY WITH A GIVEN NAME …IT IS YOURS BY CHOICE…IF YOU ARE A HUMAN BEING THAT HAS BEEN COMPROMISED BY THE STIGMA AND THE STALKERS OF A HATE CRIME YOU KNOW THE VIABLE RESOURCE IS A NAME CHANGE. PROMOTING THIS REAL IDENTITY IS A FORM OF INCREASING THE CHANCE EACH PERSON WILL BE TARGETED FOR A HATE CRIME BY A STALKER. SPARKFUCKATURD YOU NEED TO REALIZE THIS MOVE OF YOUR COMPANY TO DO THIS IS ILLEGAL..IT ABATES ALL CITIZENS FREE SPEECH AND RIGHTS TO SPECIFIC PRIVACY WHILE USING A PUBLIC ON LINE PROFILE…I HOPE YOU HAVE A BIG INSURANCE CARRIER THAT LIKE TO COVER YOUR PESONAL LIABILITY THAT YOU HAVE JUST CREATED…LET THE MUD SLINGING BEGIN..MOST OF ALL WE SHOULD GO SOME WHERE ELSE THAT IS FAR MORE BENEFICIAL TO OUR FREEDOMS AND ABILITIES TO BE SAFE WHILE USINF OUR MINDS TO BE CREATIVE AND BUILD OUR OWN COMMUNITY ON LINE!!!
Except it’s not illegal, you agreed to it when you signed up and no amount of typing in caps lock like an idiot will change that.
Set your profile to private and stop spewing bullshit.
If this is true, Facebook/mark zuckerberg should be ashamed! People have a right to be who they are. And really, what harm is a drag queen doing? I’ve been to many drag queen shows and most are just normal people under the makeup.
I have quite a few drag queen friends and its easier to find them on facebook by the names they go by instead of their real names
if it is the issue of legal names, then there are -more- that “qualify”: teachers, social workers, doctors, etc. who use FB for their -personal- life and prefer anonymity so those who interface with them professionally won’t try to access or even hack their accounts.
It does appear that a specific subset is being targeted, instead of -everyone- who isn’t listed “per legal identification”. -Many people even have more than one profile!
Since the real issue is money, essentially, paying for your personal site is about the only way around this, whether FB or Google or any “free” site.
David, the accounts of every day people get suspended on a daily basis. Why don’t we hear of this? Because every day people don’t have social and support groups like the GLBT community or websites that promote these issues etc. Of course it seems like only GLBT profiles are being banned – you’re reading a website called The Gaily Grind which is about GLBT issues/news. If Facebook was ONLY banning GLBT profiles then they’d have more than a friendly meeting on their hands – they’d have a very real and very serious lawsuit.
If you want to make it ‘fair’ then go and report all of your friends that use fake names too. Facebook will only remove a profile once it has been reported and investigated.
I know a few musicians in more underground scenes have also been affected in recent days by this. So it isn’t just geared towards one group. But we are hearing about one group and others who are affected but do not identify with this community are joining in this fight.
There is no fight, though. It is Facebook’s right to enforce this rule. Maybe if it affects enough people and all of those people delete their profiles to the point where it begins to cost Facebook money .. Then they MIGHT change it. But I can’t see any other reason or incentive for them to do so. It is not an unreasonable policy – it may be inconvenient – but it is not unreasonable. Facebook has already provided an alternative for performing artists and public entities so there is absolutely no valid reason why anybody should be complaining about this decision other than the fact they cannot comprehend the difference between right and privellege.
Facebook’s policy stipulates that a name displayed on a personal account must be “your real name as it would be listed on your credit card, driver’s license or student ID.”
“We had a good discussion with the group about their perspectives on our real name standard, and we stressed how the standard helps prevent bad behavior, while creating a safer and more accountable environment,” said Facebook spokesperson Andrew Souvall in a statement.
This has the NSA written all over it! Don’t be distracted by any other reason or line of b.s. about it. It’s so they can have an easy time tracking everyone in this b.s. police state/ fake democracy we’re currently living in. Our freedoms are evaporating daily.
If they do this I am deleteing Facebook! How is this any different than a famous person using their stage name….we all know people like Iggy Azalea, were born with names like amethyst Amelia Kelly, and lady gaga is really, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta… How is them using their stage names on social media any different than drag queens??! Drag queens are performers with fans!! This is a complete outrage!
What about the people who use fake names gor thier own safety? And what about someone who undergoes a gender changing op? You could look like a woman, with breast and a vagina, but facebook makes you keep your origional male name, i dont know, like john smith.. those people would get so much hate mail and hate crime
“facebook makes you keep your origional male name” – If you get your name changed, that is your legal name that Facebook wants you to use.
I have issues with them locking my account repeatedly just because I cant provide Government issued ID to verify who I am. Let me tell you the reason as to why this is.I have a lot of people on my personal account who are strongly against the lifestyle that I lead and the type of people that I support (the “alternative lifestyle”). In order to keep the peace bewteen the two sides I’ve found it necessary to have the two accounts under different names so that the religious types dont cause trouble for my other friends and so I am free to pursue the lifestyle that Im comfortable with, without being harassed myself. There are a lot of connections there that Im having to remake and messages and jobs lost since it was shut down and people are being hurt by this action.
It’s not only names, it’s professional lives and business. People develop their business profiles on facebook whether they be drag queens or anything else they choose. If it’s a social network, it cannot lock out those trying to connect through any walk of life with others. This happens when you go to a bar, a restaurant, or a market, you meet people and you tell them whatever identity you want them to know. It is not a legal transaction. Facebook therefore, is making itself a legal transaction site by doing this and eliminating much of the usefulness of its site.
I am gay, and I am in favor of many things but this one is well how shall I say without being so negative….its their website, you don’t pay for it, ITS FREE. My view point is that using a “fake” name is no different that applying for a credit card with false information. If you are an artist, then be an artist, but be real about it, you can’t go through every moment of your life as “Perscilla Queen of the Desert”. As for those with an sexual identity crisis then yes I agree you should be able to use the name you want however your name should be legally changed in your local Probate Court.
In closing, with today’s internet crimes, abuse against children….I clap my hands to Facebook I think they should require anyone using a social media network to give their real information even if its free. So I would have to say I do not think what Facebook is doing is illegal, a violation of civil rights or discriminatory, they offer a free service and if they want to change things they every right to do so.
Thanks, David, for that post. Nice to see someone else has their head out of the Land of Entitlement.
David, not everyone has the option to NOT use Facebook.
Some of us are required to have it for work, and for those of us who are trans, unable to change our IDs and not out to all of our coworkers, this move by Facebook puts us in danger.
Let me give you an example.
I work in the media, and part of my job entails posting material to my company’s official Facebok page daily.
I have to have my own, personal Facebook login to do that.
I am also transgender, post-transition, and not out to my coworkers or immediate supervisor, most of whom are conservativey religious.
Now, I’ve been able to change my ID, so I won’t be personally hurt by this because my Facebook login matches my driver’s license.
But if I hadn’t changed my ID — and many people can’t — I’d now have to be explaining to my conservatively religious boss and coworkers why I was suddenly unable to use Facebook.
I could either tell the truth, and risk geting fired for being trans (and even if I weren’t, my work environment would be hell), or I could make up a bullshit excuse that inevitably would look like such, and get fired for that.
My trans status should be between me and HR.
Facebook has no business outing trans people at risk to their livelihoods (and, in some cases, much more).
Another side of this would be facebook’s loss and maybe people go out and meet each other in person again instead of relying on sitting at home on their computer on facebook. A business gain for restaurants, clubs, bars, and other real social meeting places! I would hope that happened anyway, but it shouldn’t happen because facebook has decided to discriminate against drag queens.
Not only LBGT use fake names.. This is sad to me, its 2014 yes there are gay, lesbian and transgender people all over the world. What makes Facebook have the right to tell them who they want to be , who they prefer to be called by isn’t good enough. It saddens me that the biggest social network everyone uses is discriminating against certain people. What about the rapists who use Facebook as a tool to talk to children or find their next vitim? So instead of worry about people who have done no wrong go worry about something important. IT IS THE 21ST CENTURY GET USED TO LGBT PEOPLE, LET THEM LIVE THEIR LIVES, without Facebook trying to big them down.
I know of at least one musician (in the public for 30 years or so) who is currently dealing with this issue as well. His music is more underground so many may not have heard of him. But for those of us who follow him, seeing a “real” name is not the name his audience knows him by and the profile in question is more of a reach out to the fans (as a non-populist performer) than a mass way to sell product. He is supportive of LGBT issues but does not identify himself. And I am sure he isn’t the only person (outside the drag community) dealing with this right now.
For those crying “entitlement:” Facebook is one of the most heavily trafficked web sites let alone social media sites. Yes there are other options but is that performer going to have the opportunity to reach out to as many people using another medium right now? It’s unlikely. This is either a money grab or an NSA thing or both. Any way it is sketchy and another blot against facebook.
As for forcing drag queens to list themselves by Legal name, what about all the straight folks who go by their nicknames im calling double standard if u require of one you should of the other
I use a nick name cause thats what I am used to being called. Anyone who knows me knows my real name and thats all that matters to me. Point blank period. I dont want everyone knowing my name and I have the right to tell you or not. I agree with a lot of the other points too. Becauseof Stalkers, harrassment, etc it is necessary to have a name change for privacy. Its one of the main reasons why I chose my nick name as my profile name. Why should I continue to put up with such nonsense when I have already done EVERY precaution before my name was changed on FB? Since then my profile has been a safe escape with my name change. I have no plans to change my name. Im not about to start getting harrased again by guys who only want to send crude pics of their privates and talk cyber sex with me. Its not just the LGBT community or Drag Queens. We all need to stand together. I say boo on you FB for such a spiteful vindictive play. Thats all it is. Most of the pages reported ARE out of pettyness and not for valid reasons. Get it together FB and stop messing with the “their word against mine” game. There are bigger issues at stake here. A name (what we call ourselves) shouldnt be one of them.
In your day to day personal life you certainly have the right to withhold your real name. But try that one on your local police officer and I bet they’ll have a different opinion. And how about buying a phone? Internet connection? Bank account?
When a company needs to create some form of accountability for the behaviour of its clients then they have a right to demand you use your legal name.
But you’re right .. why should you put up with that sort of nonsense? If it upsets you that much you should probably delete your Facebook profile and move to another social media website or something.
And I don’t understand people saying this bullshit about hiding their identity. Set your profile to private and don’t add people you don’t know. Or, better yet, report the people that harrass you and have THEIR profiles suspended!
But hey, it’s easier to just throw around some bullshit opinion, have a whinge and then do nothing, isn’t it? It’s easier to lay all of the blame at the feet of the evil corporation and thusly absolve yourself from any responsibility whatsoever.
And how do you know what the pages are reported for? Do you know how many pages Facebooks suspends a week? Do you know that number? Can you give me the factual low-down on why those profiles were banned? Do you work for Facebook?
Most comments I am reading here are subjective, totally irrelevant and written by people with a sense of entitlement who think the world, including Facebook, owes them some sort of whatever.
There ARE bigger issues at stake – such as why everyone that signs up and agrees to something has such a hard time understanding such a simple concept. I think that the stupidity of the world is indeed a much more pressing matter ..
Lee, it sounds like you really want to protect Fb, do you work for them? They are NOT the police and it’s ridiculous they are trying to force this kind of approach. There are many reasons people use non-passport names (I won’t call them “real” because for many people they are not their “real” names). And it’s very rude to tell all the LGBR or any other group to go find another social NW. At the moment it is not an option until the mass FB exodus starts, because people don’t want to be isolated, i.e. drag queens or djs or whoever have lives that go beyond their professional milieu – that would be straight up ghettoization of the net. I want to see what my drag queen, artist, actor etc friends post on FB, and I would wonder a lot about who those people are if they were under their family given names, not to think of transgender people. For instance, I use my artist name on the net and on FB and this is also the nickname by which all my friends and acquaintances, as well as business partners know me. Only a limited few would know me by my passport name and I would like to keep it that way. Do you suggest I migrate to Myspace instead? :))) And another point, FB is used in many countries to spread political dissent, passport names would make it easier for repressive governments to crack down on people and the fear instilled would prevent more free speech. We are users of FB and we have rights, like any customer. Its not about entitlement, it’s about using a service. If you don’t like the railroads service and complain, they don’t tell you to take the plane , or do they? Maybe you can only get there by train, etc etc.
THIS IS FUCKING HORSESHIT.Why do Drag queens have to change their names when its obvious their name is different because of who they are, how they identify themselves and protect themselves from haters in daily life, but in the mean while loads of people still get tricked and played by all those CATFISH assholed who use different names and pictures….like they can ever controll shit like that?!!!! No lets just torment goodwilled people who are trying to live their life in a way makes them happy and hurts no one else, as if they dont get enough CRAP to deal with from society!! This stuff makes me Angry as fuck, FACEBOOK #Mark Zuckerberg, is becoming a freakishly controling shit ass commercial invasive fucking medium. # BARF
But it’s not just LGBT but any person or group that uses a fake/false name. A few years ago many people who played in World of Warcraft and Second Life and other MMOs were creating FB accounts for their game avatars – FB shut all those down too. Being that FB is selling all this info gathered on the website to the government and others, they want it to be as “real” as possible.
Exactly Kevin – but do you know why most people leaving comments here don’t know that about WoW, etc? Because there are no WoW or Second Life support groups that cry discrimination every time a company excercises their right to enforce rules. As usual people are sheep. That’s why most of these comments read ‘Baa baa baa baa’.
I’d say your comments read pretty baaa baaa. It’s clear FB are doing this for money. I can;t understand why you would be so adamant about their right to sell your personal information unless you work for them.
Don’t just target one group, target everyone. More than half of the people on Facebook don’t use their legal names. This is beyond fucked up. Fuckerberg needs to get his shit together, now. Seriously, I hope everyone leaves Facebook, or at least the supporters.
All this is is bullying. Plenty of people, obviously including myself, have non-legal facebook names. Why they want to target and make a example of drag queens is tragic and petty. Let’s consider all the Trans folk who have not yet legally changed their name-a process that takes time and money and sometimes they are not even old enough to go through the process. What about people who dont want to be found by coworkers and bosses because our personal life should never come as a strife with our job. What if people are trying to avoid stalkers? Abusive family? They are so many reasons to have a fake profile and for some reason they have decided to target people who, if outted with their legal names, they can be targeted by bashers online. By picking on an often misunderstood group of people, some of whom I am friends with and others I support from afar, I see Facebook only as bullies, not anything trying to help a greater cause or protect anyone. If they really want to delete ALL non legal names they need to start cracking on a long list because there are thousands of accounts. Will they delete me? No because it is not totally obvious I have a fake name, but its not even an alias or name people would always recognize me by. A drag queens stage name is MORE reputable than MINE because it relates to work, coworkers and a fan base. If they cant go by their stage name, Madonna’s cant go by HER public name, nor stephen king, nor any other performer with a stage name we all recognize as their mark.
Except most high-profile entertainers legally change their names. It is not bullying, it is Facebook enforcing rules you agreed to when you signed up. It’s no use crying about it because it’s not your decision to make. If a page is reported and Facebook investigates and finds it to be in breach of policy then it gets suspended.
Point out to me where the proof that Facebook only bans GLBT profiles and I’ll change my tune. Until then it’s probably better for most people leaving comments on here to read more before voicing their uninformed opinions.
As much as the legal name policy is a bunch of utter shit and always has been, Facebook have ALWAYS had it in place. The LGBT community can’t cry discrimination on this on – it is a blanket policy that applies to ALL users of Facebook. If Facebook knowingly allowed members of the LGBT community to continue using fake names then THAT would be discriminatory towards the rest of us who DO have to. Minority groups should be careful about throwing the word discrimination around when it is not applicable or necessary.
Also, whoever was complaining that Facebook has no right to enforce this … unfortunately for you, my uninformed friend, Facebook can do whatever the hell they like – you do not have to use Facebook. If you want to, those are the rules and if you don’t like them then you are free to use other forms of social media.
All of that said I’m not on Facebook’s side with this call. I understand where they are coming from but as the entire policy sucked to begin with, in my opinion, I can’t support their enforcing it now or in the future. It makes some sense to have it but I don’t know anybody that takes it seriously whatsoever.
They are doing this because they make money selling our information, and having the wrong name messes all that up.
Everything they say about bad behaviour and creating a safer environment is just lies
this isnt about just being lgbt its about certain people making accounts instead of pages it says it right here
“…we hope that they will decide to confirm their real name, change their name to their real name, or convert their profile to a Page.”
facebook policy has ALWAYS been to have REAL names …
i had an account named “guy fawkes” on facebook it was shut down then i complained and appealed and actually had it reinstated then it was shut down again
i am not lgbt or a crossdresser … i am straight as an arrow and i love pussy …
stop acting like victims
It’s ridiculous to me that I have plenty of friends using their middle names and entirely made-up names with no purpose, but those who actually identify with the names chosen for their FB profile are being forced to change them. You can’t allow some people to have ridiculous fake names and prohibit others from using alternate names that are completely viable and used in their daily lives. My own FB profile is “Dani Marra” which is not how my name legally appears (it is Danielle), so this just seems like an intolerant and poorly executed policy.
I am reminded of when a different company tried to pull a real name policy: Blizzard. They finally backed down when their “I have nothing to hide” spokesman gave his name, and within five minutes, was thoroughly doxxed. I normally see doxxing as a special kind of evil, but I’ll have to admit that the most likely way to win is to make the need for privacy come home to roost on an FB spokesperson.
Anonymous, you have your next mission.
Actually when you sign up for any Blizzard account you are required to use your real name (Your screen/login name can be totally different though). In the event of your account being hacked/suspended Blizzard actually requires a copy of your drivers license before they will reinstate it. If you have provided a false name your account will remain suspended. I know because I had a back and forth argument with Blizzard regarding this about 4 years ago – in a nutshell? They (rightly) refused to back down to my unreasonable demands to be treated differently and Blizzard and I parted ways for a couple of years. I have since sent in the required documentation and had my account reinstated. If they didn’t have this system in place then, technically, anybody could have reclaimed my account as there would have been no way to prove either way whether they were me (Or that I was me..)
Uhhh but Blizzard doesn’t force you to use your real name unless you want to. That is exactly what Fakebook is doing forcing you to use your real name when all you need to do is register under your real name
I have no problem with Facebook wanting to verify my identity for their own unpublished internal purposes. I completely understand the reasoning.
But if I was being forced to give my real last name to (example) — a random person I met a thousand miles away from home at a music festival at three in the morning… I would no longer use Facebook as a social network
But that said, Facebook would not miss me and could probably care less if I left them.
I think this is bullshit…Facebook doesn’t specifically tell u that u have that u havee ur real name they just ask for a name Ans like it plainly States in this thing that it could b dangerous cause wat if someone on here ain’t a boy or girl anymore and ur just gonna put their buisness out there like that so wat happens when one of these boys or girls wind up dead cause somebody found out about them here on Facebook?? Will yall take responibility for that ?? Because in a way it will b ur fault for utting their buisness out there like that for all the world to know…so I don’t think people should see Facebook as a safe place anymore…expecially since they r putting peoples PERSONAL N PRIVATE buisness out there for the whole world to know about….I think that Facebook is violating peoples CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS!!!!!
It is expected that you read through terms and conditions of ANY contract before agreeing to them. If you had done this you would be aware of their policy regarding legal names. As for the privacy of your information? Set your profile to private and stop spouting utter bullshit. I’m not even American and I know there is no such constitutional right that states you are allowed to use a fake name on Facebook.
Can facebook literally not be such cunts. I have facebook because as a person in my social demographic, it is hard to get by socially without facebook. Without facebook, my social life would be very badly impacted upon. However, this is rather outrageous. One’s legal name is frequently not how a person might wish to identify themselves, for many reasons which you can see in all the other comments. For some people, using their legal name online simply isn’t a viable option and certainly shouldn’t be forced in such a ruthless and inconsiderate way (or at all).
Fuck off m8
I honestly find this full of horse shit, seeing as how I’m a pre-op transgender. Why make me, people who are going through a similar situation to my own, and others who don’t fit into the gender norm change our preferred name, that is if we go by a preferred name, to our legal name? It’s not our fault that this is who we are. I mean seriously, those of us who are transgender, pre-op or post-op, gender queer/gender fluid, etc., drag queens and drag kings shouldn’t be told that we have to go by our birth name and the sex we were born with when that’s not what we’re comfortable with. Just because we don’t fit into the gender norm, doesn’t mean that we should be discriminated against with this bullshit. I honestly don’t see the point of suspending people of the LGBTQ Community’s accounts. Seriously though, we aren’t the ones doing anything wrong, so why say that us of the LGBTQ Community, specifically the trans people, have to either change their name back to their birth name if they put their name as their preferred name. Why not do this with people who are pedophiles, knowing that they’re the ones who are doing something illegal? I’m sorry, but I’m not going to change my name to my birth name just because Facebook says that I should or even delete my account. If my Facebook gets suspended in 2 weeks, than fuck it, I’m never going back on to Facebook.
There is no legal requirement for anybody to call a transgender person by their preferred name. It is purely as a courtesy that people do so. In some instances of life you are required by law to use your legal name – this just happens to be one of them whether you like it or not.
Wrong, you do not have to use your legal name unless its a contract or legal judgement.
Facebooks is not specifically targeting LGBT.
Facebook requires legal names on profiles…simple as that.
I’m a gay male myself and have NO issue with following the TOS of a social media provider.
This confuses me. Why are Drag Queens only being affected by this? Is this article even real? If so it must be said that stage names are used by MANY MANY celebs such as Pink, Cher, Madonna, Woody Allen, Chevy Chase, Ben Kingsley, Whoopi Goldberg….. shall I carry on? This an outrage if this is really happening!
Can you even legally change your name in two weeks? This policy is aweful. How ridiculous! How hurtful!
They don’t have to change their name – they simply need to change their personal pages to artist/public entity pages. No mess, no fuss. Except of course for the hundreds of people reading this article and getting the wrong impression.
The use of a “nom de plume” has always been a protected right of an artist…. it’s tricky but it is also legal and recognized by the IRS, banks, and government entities. Certainly anything as insignificant as Facebook should be able to accept them.
I cant believe there is so many sheeple that actually agree with fb doing this its so wrong I don’t want enemies or exes or being prey to ppl usinh my real name the people that need to know me already know me an have me on their list I’m deleting fb soon anyway an finding something else to use whwrei can use whatever name I want
You’re calling ME a sheep? I’m promoting the RIGHTS of Facebook. I think the sheep in this instance is yourself and the hundreds of others that have voiced unfounded and subjective opinions based on this slightly skewed article and their own sense of entitlement and outrage. And lack of knowledge. I’d advise you to read, in general, but I get the feeling the concept would be utterly beyond you.
I’d also advise you to set your profile to private but that might stop you deleting your account … and I wouldn’t want to deter you from that.
It seems ludicrous for Facebook to start upsetting customers just as twitter is trying to make itself user friendly, I am a rape and abuse survivor I have changed my name but still keep a Facebook profile in my old name so that old friends and family that want to can keep in touch with me if I am forced to delete my old account there is no way I am going to advertise my new name to my family so my abuser can track me down again. I think Facebook seriously need to look at the repercussions of what they are trying to do!
This is the first thing I clicked on and really read. I think with our first admedmint right we should have the right to put whatever name or label we want on any social page. I think this is messed up and nobody has the right to tell us what we should be called or named but ourselfs. If we let people tell us how we should run our pages then, what do we really have left? we all our own person with a mind of our own which means we should have the dignatey to use whatever name we want on any page, personal or fan pages.
They are not ‘Your Pages’. They are Facebook’s pages. They allow you to use them. You have no rights in this regard. First Amendment rights only cover America, Facebook covers most of the world. Also you should word yourself up on the rights of corporations (Because knowledge is power) which, in essence, are considered to have similar rights to individuals.
Here is a handy link so you can do just that;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_personhood
So what doesn’t matter what name you have.
It’s like tell gay people, straight people, families, extra that they can’t be on a social network
I think FB is now labeling people
If dogs can have facebook pages, cracking down on actual people using their stage names is some serious bull shit
Interesting and no, exceptions should not be made for drag queens and it is offensive to gays to refer to them as LGBT because it reinforces the effeminate stereotype of gay people.
That said, facebook is riddled with fake identities and profiles with fake names. Either they demand proof of identity from the outset or drop this idiotic policy. Many celebrities embrace false identities on Facebook in order to relate as ordinary people with ordinary people and then there are those who do not wish to expose themselves to those with malicious intent.
Zuckerbergs comment that “Having two identities for yourself is an example of lack of integrity” are the words of a millionaire remote fromn reality at the top of his pile of money. Perhaps he would show more integrity by stating the truth which is that he want people to put up their true identity so that they can be snooped on and targeted by the commercial interests that made him a millionaire by paying Facebook for the right to do this on private individuals.
As I write this I see on my facebook page an ad saying “Great deals on Ebay” with a picture of items I have looked at on Ebay recently. It is this kind of snooping that tells me I am foolish to trust two-faced Zuckerberg and Twofacedbook with my true ID.
This issue is not about trannies but about the ethics of Facebook and those who run it.
1. Yes, Facebook has the right to put this in their policy, and no, the policy itself is not discriminatory, just harmful to some groups of people.
2. We agree to the policy when signing up to use Facebook and thus no, it is not our rights being violated.
HOWEVER,
3. As a user of something, Facebook in this case, you do have the right to voice your opinion on why you think certain policy is bad, harmful, ineffective, etc. in hopes that the policy be changed.
In this regard, here is why this policy is bad, harmful and ineffective.
Supposedly, it’s supposed to be a safety precaution. However, this is not going to address the issues they claim it addresses unless they ask every single person/profile for proof (starting now for existing profiles, at registration for new ones) to provide legal proof of name before their account is “approved”. Unless they do that, those who harass others can continue to make fake profiles like they could without this policy, and there is no difference. If you have a no-harassment policy, their account will be suspended once there is proof harassment occurred (which should be easy to provide – messages, pictures, etc that were sent to you). If you have a no-non-legal-names policy, their account will be suspended until/unless they show they used their legal name or until they change their Facebook name to their legal name. The effect in the end is the same. Harassers and abusers will continue to make fake profiles, will continue to be shut down, and so on in endless circles. The only way to stop this is the PRE-requirement of having legal information at registration, not only AFTER a complaint. So, if both are after the fact, a no-harassment policy has a better purpose than a no-non-legal-names policy.
And why is a no-non-legal-names policy bad? It’s been listed numerous times. It harms those who are protecting their privacy, those who use a name in all aspects of life but cannot legally change it (there are MANY countries where trans people cannot change their name to a name that they use).
Also, as others pointed out, Facebook is primarily for SOCIAL interaction, not LEGAL transactions, and thus, people should be able to represent themselves how they like.
So, there is NOTHING positive about this policy, it is completely negative and detrimental and helps no one (other than those who want access to our data and money). The safety argument is just a cover that, when you scratch beneath the surface, doesn’t really hold up.
And that’s my two cents.
My cat has a Facebook…………. But no license…… Stupid.
Seems to me there might be an easy solution to this. When signing up for an FB account in a stage name, pen name or preferred nickname, have an SECURE section where a real name can be listed for FB’s records only. Same with current FB accounts – simply add that secure section to profiles, and we’re golden. BUT of course it’ll have to be hack-proof. And yes, Chris Quinton is a pen name, but it is also my maiden name and as real to me as my married name. Not that will cut any ice with FaceBook should I get dumped. And I won’t get a Page where I have to pay to attract the attention of readers and can’t interact with them the way I can at the moment.
So, it’s either use your real name for your Facebook profile or not provide it at all? Isn’t there a happy medium here? What about when you fill out a form and it asks for your full legal name and PREFERRED name? Couldn’t something like that be implemented? Facebook could ask for your full legal name and not share it with the public, and you could still use whatever name you would like on your public profile. However I don’t understand why asking drag queens to change their profile over to a page to continue using their stage name is such a big deal. Most drag queens don’t identify as that persona all the time. I think Facebook needs to take a look at their policy and judge this “fake name thing” on a case by case basis. People who have a real reason to display a fake name should be allowed to do so. Facebook isn’t proof of legal identity. I can’t show an employer my Facebook page as proof of who I say I am so why does it REALLY matter what name I use?
This puts LGBT folks at huge risk, as well as people in abusive relationships, and under repressive regimes.
Plus it is absolutely absurd. Growing up there were at least 3 kids in every classroom whose birth certificate was some variant of Katharine/Katherine/Kathryn/Catherine…we dealt with this by adopting all sorts of nicknames we have kept–Katie/Katy/Kathy/Kate/Cathy/Kat/Cat…all of my friends who are using these nicknames they have used since childhood are not being targeted. They are equally violators of the policy.
you deserve a muther fucking award for saying that! As someone who is also naked Katherine, I have taken on the Nick name of Kor (because of my last name) and I have never been told I need to change my name…
I understand that FaceBook is doing whatever they feel is necessary for them to keep moving forward as a business. If it bothers you as an individual, and personally yes I feel that it’s utterly rediculous that they even have to make this a thing, then don’t use FaceBook. Just as FaceBook has the right to change it’s rules and regulations as a business you have the right to not use it. Ya it might suck and it’s not what you wnated and it’s not even the morally correct thing to do but I could think of a million other things that are also morally wrong and may even actually effect the real lives and feelings of people. I guess in conclusion… Just as much as FacesBook as the right to make people use their their real… you have the same right to not like it as much as you want and have the right to not have to use Face Book at all
And we all know that thats not gunna happen so use your bitching energy on somehting that actually matters to the people, family and community around you… ect. ect.
Facebook created profile and page options for a reason. If you want a profile, use your legal name as stated in the user agreement. If you want to use a stage name, then use the page option. It’s really as simple as that. If you are changing your profile name because of bullying, harassment, or just don’t want to be found please go learn what security settings are and don’t make it obvious where you are and what you are doing at any given time and then throw a massive fit over it. I set my facebook profile to notify me every time someone tagged me. If I do not approve the tag–guess what–it does not tag me or post the tag. I also turned location abilities for facebook off on all my mobile devices. I am also, get this, selective about who I add to my friends list. I also individually set each friend’s permissions on what they can see on my profile. Who knew? There is a way to create a public profile and still have a good amount of privacy. All in all, the user agreement is there for the safety of the user but it is also the responsibility of the user to practice a safe manner of social networking. It is a two way street yet people throw a fit when the business side does their job.
Have you never heard of trans people? Many trans people don’t use their legal names as this is not who they are, but in many countries it is impossible to get it legally changed. Their whole community both online and offline might only know them by their name, the one they use, but requiring them to use their legal name outs them when there is really no reason for this. How does it make you any safer whether my profile or anyone else’s has my legal name or not? Especially considering they only react either when someone reports you, or they suspect the name isn’t your legal name. If they truly cared about your safety, and not just money, they would require EVERYONE to give their legal names with proof at sign up, and allow you to keep this information private in case your legal name is not the name you go by in a social setting (which is exactly what Facebook is). Then you could choose whether you feel comfortable giving this information to the company under these conditions, but it wouldn’t have any bearing on the social aspect of your interactions on the site like it does now.
Listen people!
Facebook is a private company I can run their company however they want. If you don’t like how they run the company you can leave.
I don’t like this policy anymore than any of you and I won’t ever limit a companies ability to do business at anything they want to do in the United States.
If I don’t like the prices Verizon wireless charges for their cell service, even though they have awesome coverage, I can’t complain about their price. I can pay their price, or I can go somewhere else. This is no different with Facebook corporation. It is not a public company where the public gets to decide what happens in their corporation.
These wonderful and truly brilliant self expressed LGBT individuals can have public sites where they advertise their stage names and have no problems on Facebook! They can also have a Facebook page where they have their real face and real name!.
If you don’t like what I say, please look to your self for why you don’t like it. I believe every human being should be allowed to be self expressed without exception. Being intolerant of one person creates you as intolerant.
I would love for Facebook to create a safer world and that’s a ridiculous request for me to make. Inside Facebook’s policies, very brilliant people spend millions of dollars to study what works and what doesn’t work in their website to create a safe environment. I don’t believe there is any discrimination or bias being presented in this decision to have people represent themselves as who they really are on a personal page. I think the biggest concern is for the thousands of people who have bogus pages and use them to deceive others.
Just my opinion
Thank you so much for caring enough to read all the way down here
First, of course you have the right to complain if you don’t like the prices, you are their customer and you have every right to let your dissatisfaction be heard. However, the company has no obligation to do what you ask of them. But, if you ran a company where a part of your population is completely incapable of using your product under your conditions, wouldn’t you want to try and find a solution that will fix this problem?
Trans people who represent themselves as they REALLY are often can’t use their legal names as their legal names might not be who they really are.
Furthermore, I hardly believe Facebook is doing this to “keep people safe”. They want your legal information, because that is how they become authentic and how they earn money: through INFORMATION. That’s why it doesn’t matter to them if it’s someone being cute and having there name be “Fake Name” or a drag artist using their stage name or a trans person using their real name which isn’t their legal name. All they care for is your LEGAL information which meets their commercial needs.
And finally, even if they cared for our safety, this certainly is not the way to go about it. They only target profiles that are reported as fake or that “seem” fake. So, a person who goes under a fake name will keep doing that again and again. You report. They make a new profile. And they can do this endlessly. So, it doesn’t really do anything. You can have the same thing by reporting harassment instead of “non-legal names” without ostracizing whole communities.
And finally, if they want to run a better safety argument and also continue towards their commercial goals, the best option is what others have suggested: enter legal information for Facebook’s purposes, but allow the person to enter a public name that differs from this legal name.
Facebook is a social site, and just like you don’t ask to see someone’s ID every time you meet them offline, you shouldn’t be required to publicly present your legal name in a social setting such as Facebook either.
Of course, Facebook doesn’t have to listen to us. They have every right not to. But if they’re going to do smart business, they might want to reconsider IMO.
Chris Quintin,
Genius.
I will rephrase:
Hmmmm. So what if…..
Here is my perspective.
Facebook is a private company and can run their company however they want. If I don’t like how they run the company, I can stop doing business with them and cancel my page.
I would like to see cigarette companies be forced to make their cigarettes non-carcinogenic! I have no right to demand that. I can simply assist in their distinction by not participating in the purchase of their products. Posting about how I feel is a total waste of time. I must take action.
It is not that I like or don’t like this policy…anymore than any of you. I simply won’t ever create “my view” to limit a person or company’s freedom (except for illegal activities) over another’s individual’s (or corporate) freedom to do anything they want to do in this United States.
[I can leave the USA too. Just because you were born here doesn’t mean you have to like it. It means you were born here.]
If I don’t like the prices Verizon wireless charges for their cell service, (even though “I” have a story “I” need them because they have awesome coverage), I can’t complain about them OR their prices if I choose to use them. “I chose”. I can pay their price, or I can go somewhere else. This is no different with “The Facebook Corporation”. It is not a public company where the public gets to decide what happens in their corporation.
These wonderful and truly brilliant self expressed LGBT individuals can Now Create public sites where they can self express (advertise) their stage names and have no problems on Facebook! PLEASE CONSIDER…the LGBT community can now, “in addition to” having a stage name, can also have a Facebook page where they have their real face and real name! Lucky Them!!!
If I really want to disassociate myself from my persecuted name, I can change my name. Why should I have to? I don’t have to. I don’t have to use Facebook either.
If you don’t like what I say, please look to your self for why you don’t like it. I believe every human being should be allowed to be FULLY self expressed without exception. Being intolerant of one person creates you as intolerant. What you say is extremely valuable and should be examined very carefully by You and Me. I’ll never make you wrong.
I would love for Facebook to create a safer world and that’s a ridiculous request for me to make. Inside Facebook’s policies, very brilliant people spend millions of dollars to study what works and what doesn’t work in “their website” to create a safe environment. I don’t believe (and I don’t know because I don’t work at Facebook nor was I there in drag) there is any discrimination or bias being presented in this decision to have people represent themselves as who they really are (on a personal page).
I would prefer to consider Facebook’s biggest concern is for the thousands of people who have bogus pages and use them to deceive others. Without me asking, Facebook is trying g to create a safer online environment. Hmmm.
Just my opinion
I value yours!!!
Hmmm…so what if Facebook left things alone….
I am now free to create a page with a picture of some sexy thing and interact with people in a way where I cannot be held accountable for ANYTHING, good or bad.
Now, this is just dealing with reality here. Where does the line get drawn? Facebook gets to decide and I applaud them for including the LGBT community by engaging in talks to create something…
They didn’t have to.
In honor of the LGBT community, I will change my profile picture to me on Halloween in a dress.
Here is to self-expression, love, compassion, forgiveness, understanding, peace, and PEOPLE LISTENING FOR THE GREATNESS IN OTHERS.
10,000 ideas are far better than 100!!! Keep looking for solutions and not what “you” think. Facebook was an “idea”….and now look. :-).
To anyone that this does happen to come join me and let me bring you back to the front Page, Let Facebook do what it wants they will only harm them selves once people leave there platform for the changes they make. Drop me a line and I will show you how we are all one and welcome all and reach out to the world and much more. Send information to [email protected] be sure to mention you read this posting
I have come to the belief that Facebook is a highly conservative tool of the far right, Corporate America, and perhaps much else that is undesirable.
Where are gay, liberals, progressives, non-GMO eaters and other good people going to begin to establish their own communication networks?
Facebook was once a clever idea by a few clever kids apparently wanting to make a buck or two. It is time to improve on the clever idea.
I’m not LBGT but they forced me to change my name on fb. I had a silly name that was very obviously not my real name andvthey suspended my account until I changed it to my real name. So I entered a real-sounding name which still isn’t my legal name and they accepted it.
It’s not like they ask for ID, if they did I’d just leave fb forever. I refuse to put my government name up there, I do not want employers past and present looking at what I post for friends and family.
More than one person has lost their job over their fb posts. Yeah, I know I can set my privacy levels but what if I forget one day? No, there’s no need to use anything more exact than a nickname on fb, period.
On Facebook, I discuss several extremely controversial subjects. If I spoke my mind freely about these subjects using my real name, my reputation would be toast. I come from a very conservative and religious family. I live in a small gossipy and provincial city. My career could easily become toast as well.
I will now explain why I cannot interface with social media using my real name. I do not agree with Zionism, and support the Palestinians. I do not agree with routine infant circumcision. Many elites in the English speaking world deem both stances as disguised antisemitism. I believe that American routine infant circumcision is strong evidence that Americans are sexually ignorant, and many of my social media posts and comments are my attempts to counter this ignorance.
I hate violence and the widespread ownership of firearms. But I also hate the widespread abuse of power by police. I hate all triumphalist bullying, and glorification of force. I also hate all efforts to use the public sector to feather one’s nest. I believe in the total separation of church, to the point where the only tax privilege religious denominations should have, is the exemption of places of worship from having to pay property taxes. In my view, no political faction in the USA thinks clearly and sensibly about tax and expenditure policy. I also believe that the generosity of state & local govt. pension plans will have to be severely curtailed.
I believe that the American understanding of civil liberties and economic freedom is in free fall. I believe that the AA underclass in the USA, especially the Rust Belt, and the Moslem underclass in Europe, are grave threats to North Atlantic civilisation. I believe that most feminist discourse is grounded in a desire for an easier life by depicting women as victims and hence as deserving an easier life. Gender feminism cannot prevail except by tyrannical methods. I believe that much of formal education is a lost cause, because the teachers are dim, the curriculum is dumbed down, the pupils are unmotivated, the parents don’t know what a good education is, and youth culture derides good students as nerds and sissies.
If what I believe were fully known, I would become unemployable in the USA, and my life would be at risk in a fair part of the planet.
Hell, I know a hundred people that don’t use their legal names on Facebook, and guess what, THEY AREN’T DRAG QUEENS!!! They don’t use their real names for a variety of reasons such as keeping their rapists from finding them and in my fiancé’s case, to keep the people that could end his life away from him, to protect both of us. I don’t use my real name on Facebook either, it keeps me from getting harassed and bullied even more than I already am. I have NEVER heard anyone complain about people who do it for those reasons, now do I? Nope. But as soon as it’s a minority group and the general public doesn’t like it, big companies like Facebook will do just about anything to please their pathetic closed minded idiotic users and customers.
Everything cool about facebook disappeared years ago. What a shitty company and product.
This is ABSOLUTELY REDICULOUS. As the Cousin of Divine (aka Glenn Milstead – but you would not have known that in his early days due to fear of persecution under which he already suffered) I personally vow to blast this article across FB and now consider quitting it once and for all. But that won’t help, will it, since they OWN all the info I have ever posted. As though people who want their identities protected are going to give FB their real name. This is LUDICROUS!!!!!!
I have a potential solution: Delete all profiles that do not provide a legal name to Facebook for accountability and security. However, let the person use whatever display name they desire. If they want a public/performance account, they can create a page like everybody else. Maybe FB could change the way that page posts reach their audience so that it is more fair to LGBT users. This way, other people will see them post in their alias/avatar, but we can still manage any abusive behavior. If someone is stalking or threatening a user online, they can file a report with FB or the police. No one can create multiple sock puppet accounts, and those who break the rules are permanently banned.
It’s simple if you don’t like using stage names don’t friend them……it’s your choice to look or friend them it’s honestly that simple
Well there are a number of people who have said that there is no right to use facebook. It sounds like the assumption here is that facebook has the right to require any criterion they wish since it is their site. Lets look at this assumption. Lets suppose that facebook decided someday to discriminate access based on race or gender. Only white men can use facebook. How does that sound? Gender and Race are after all legal categories. They are listed on one’s legal identification. So facebook can discriminate based on race and gender, right? Well the laissez faire approach of some commentators would imply this, no? But many more people would also understand rightly that facebook does not have this right because it causes significant social harm and because such identifiers should not be used. It is basic respect that is at stake. The whole society receives a slap in the face. People now live in a fictional world in which legal names are more politically neutral than race and gender. In fact, names also support forms of widespread social control and discrimination. Especially so for people who have had to reconstruct their identities to avoid bullying and humiliation in their past. No public infrastructure, amd facebook is a public infrustructure, should be allowed by the society to discriminate access on this basis.
You’d think the company that invented “Relationship status: It’s Complicated” would have a clue.
And you’d think a company in California, where it’s still legal to use any name you want as long as you’re not doing it for fraud, and where the southern half of the state’s main business involves many many people who use stage names that aren’t their birth name (even if their birth name wasn’t Jewish or hard for gringos to pronounce) would have a bloody clue.
Teach fb a lesson and move en masse to google plus.
So, technically they can do this. It’s pretty fucked up, though. It’s still possible to leave facebook, if enough of us do, we’ll all be able to. There are many alternatives, and if we each try a few eventually something will stick, and maybe we can ride that one out for a decade or so. Diaspora’s really good. I like that one. It is kind of like the opposite of facebook, as far as privacy policies go. Check it out. We can make it to the other side of the facebook nightmare.
Does this also apply to New York/Hollywood/International celebrities (actors, models, musicians, etc.) known under their stage names who don’t use their birth names?
Five years. .I was unmercifully hacked and flagged. .I’m a shy..unassuming person..I’m known to the world by my stage name. .my ex..who is also a musician. .didn’t want me to be in touch with my history..my music. .my life. ..it’s been since December 29. ..I miss the people on my list. .good bye
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