FACEBOOK JUST GOT MORE GAY FRIENDLY!

Facebook changed its relationship-status options Thursday, allowing users for the first time to tell their online friends if they are "in a civil union" or "in a domestic partnership."

The social-networking site introduced the new features in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France and Australia after consultation with users and equal-rights organizations.

Previously, Facebook users had fewer relationship-status options.

The choices used to only be "single," "in a relationship," "engaged," "married," "separated," "in an open relationship," "it's complicated," "widowed" and "divorced."

Facebook has more than 600 million active users globally and human-rights groups hailed the move as a huge step forward for the greater equality and understanding of same sex unions.

"I think it's important to be able to recognize and describe the legal status of same sex couples," said Marriage Equality media director Mollie McKay.

"It's good visibility and good to show everyone on Facebook that same-sex couples exist, and are denied the status of marriage."

"Today, Facebook sent a clear message in support of gay and lesbian couples to users across the globe," said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

"By acknowledging the relationships of countless loving and committed same-sex couples in the U.S. and abroad, Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion for social media."

Same-sex unions are allowed in some states, but not recognized by the federal government.

They are defined as "civil unions" or "domestic partnerships" depending on the state where the union is granted, and the precise meaning of the two terms varies from state to state.

"This is a really positive step," said the Human Rights Campaign's media officer Michael Cole-Schwartz.

"I think it brings the online experience on a par with the way that people would talk about, or describe, their relationship offline."

"I think that Facebook really led the way on this discussion and deserves a lot of credit," he added.

Users can change their relationship status in the "edit profile" section of the website, where information about education, work and interests can also be made public.

The move comes as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg prepared to meet President Obama in San Francisco Thursday.

Obama traveled to the West Coat to meet with tech executives, including Apple's Steve Jobs and Google's Eric Schmidt, to discuss ways government can collaborate with the business community to improve job creation and American innovation.


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