New Instagram update adds pronouns feature; users can now share on profile

Instagram is now letting users select their pronouns in a section of their profile.

Users can choose pronouns including he/him, she/her and they/them. Once selected, the chosen pronoun will appear next to the username in small gray letters.

In 2019, the Merriam-Webster dictionary added the singular pronoun “they,” as its Word of the Year, used in this context to refer to “a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary,” or to those whose gender is unknown or is intentionally obscured.

According to the social media platform, the new pronoun feature will only be available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia but “plans for more.”

GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement sent to “TODAY” in January, “Pronouns matter, and adding inclusive pronouns to a contact form is more than just a demonstration of allyship.”

“Research has shown that recognition and respect of our pronouns can make all the difference for our health and wellbeing — especially when it comes to LGBTQ youth.”

The new Instagram feature has been widely celebrated across social media.