Apple recently rolled out 35 new emoticons for iPhone users with iOS 15.4 update. The batch also added some new gender-neutral ones, including Pregnant Person and Pregnant Man. These emojis also include all races as they have 5 different skin colours users can choose. However, the Pregnant Man emoji sparked a debate on social media. Some did not understand what this emoji was inclusive of because so far, neither white, black, brown, or yellow men have given birth. Others found an opportunity to make memes, while some decided to make Apple revisit biology class.
The move was probably Apple’s latest attempt to try and make all communities feel welcome. Previously, it introduced gender-neutral and same-sex emojis in 2019.
Pregnant Man Emoji Resembles Bill Gates
A meme that almost every social media user has been sharing on their timeline compares the Pregnant Man emoji with the Microsoft founder Bill Gates. As per popular suggestions, the emoji did not represent pregnancy but someone who had eaten excessive food. Either way, social media categorised it as body shaming. They reckoned that most iPhone users would be using this emoji to make fun of fat men or those with a beer belly. Like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who also took part in body-shaming a fellow billionaire.
Does Apple Know Biology?
Many called the tech giant “nonsense” for supporting something as outrageous as the Pregnant Man emoji. In this biodiverse universe, sea horses and sea dragons are the only species where the male can give birth. While in humans, only a person with a uterus can get pregnant.
For those without a uterus, ectopic implantation can be tried. It is theoretically probable but never attempted. It involves planting an embryo inside a man’s abdomen and attaching the placenta to his anus. Scientists warn that it would be a very difficult process to justify due to the extreme health risks posed to the parent and child.
In a desperate attempt to align itself with “woke” culture, Apple is promoting the misconception that “men can get pregnant”.
Pregnancy is Not Gender Neutral
As there is a critical need for more gender-neutral things, several companies have contributed and updated their strategies to include all. However, this move from Apple was not well received by the public. Besides all those taking the Pregnant Man emoji thing lightly and making fun of it, many others were furious. They opined that Apple was indoctrinating coming generations into thinking that humans don’t have to be a woman to give birth. Many argued that pregnancy was exclusively a women’s territory and even transgenders who give birth are biologically female.
Also Read
