Exciting news for emoji lovers! A fresh wave of diverse and gender-inclusive emojis is on the horizon. Emojipedia has unveiled a selection of new emojis that will be submitted for approval this fall by the Unicode Consortium, aimed for the upcoming Emoji 14.0 release. This collection will feature options like consistent gender representations for pregnancy and royalty, “heart hands,” and a variety of handshake combinations in 15 different skin tones.
In celebration of #WorldEmojiDay on July 17, Emojipedia posed a question to its followers: which draft emoji candidate are you most eager to see? Accompanying the tweet was an image showcasing 32 potential new emojis.
Highlights of the New Emojis
Among the highlights are emojis that recognize transgender and non-binary pregnancies, such as the “Pregnant Man” and “Pregnant Person” emojis, which acknowledge that pregnancy can be possible for some transgender men and non-binary individuals. These additions will complement the existing 🤰 Pregnant Woman emoji.
Furthermore, the update will introduce handshakes in various skin tone combinations, a face with a peeking eye, a “hand with index finger and thumb crossed” emoji favored by K-Pop fans, and a gender-neutral person adorned with a crown, alongside a melting face emoji—aptly encapsulating the essence of 2020.
Emojipedia notes that typically, most draft emoji candidates make it to the final list, which is anticipated for release on September 14. This particular list has been in development for an extended period, given that Unicode 14.0 faced delays due to the pandemic.
Gender-Neutral Options and Voting Process
The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization responsible for developing and creating new emojis, is also examining gender-neutral options for the disco-dancing man and flamenco-dancing woman. Per the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee report, these additions will enable nearly all emojis to feature a default gender-neutral option, with the choice to represent either a woman or man when applicable. A few exceptions remain under review, as per Emojipedia’s insights.
The selection process will involve online voting, with the newly approved emojis expected to be available by late this year, while most updates are projected for the first half of 2022. To provide context, the last emoji update gained approval in September 2020 and was rolled out on Pixel devices in December, followed by iOS in April 2021.
Resources for Future Parents
For those interested in planning their journey to parenthood, you can find insightful information in this excellent resource for pregnancy and home insemination.
For more on this topic, check out our post on home insemination kits, which expands on the nuances of self-insemination practices. Additionally, if you’re searching for more information about related topics, consider exploring these resources.
Summary
New emojis that celebrate diversity and inclusivity are set to be approved by the Unicode Consortium this fall. The upcoming Emoji 14.0 release will feature representations for transgender and non-binary pregnancies, various handshake skin tone options, and more, with a final list expected by September 14.