Apple Sparks Controversy With Pregnant Man Emoji On iPhone

Apple Inc AAPL has introduced a pregnant man emoji and pregnant person emoji with its iOS 15.4 beta version.

The pregnant emoji isn’t new to some, as they’re part of a September 2021 update to the “encyclopedia of emoji” Emojipedia.  

However, this has created growing controversy, as some cultural commentators argue that the effort to make the biologically specific phenomenon all-inclusive erases factors that make women distinctive from men and even dehumanizes women.

Piers Morgan was among those left speechless.

Apple’s new pregnant man emoji. Words fail me. #TheWorldsGoneNuts pic.twitter.com/FY7brjYU6l

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 29, 2022

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio also reacted to the new emoji on Twitter.

In 5500 years of recorded human history there has never been a pregnant man

But if that day should ever come figuring out how to deliver that baby will be, let’s just say, unusually difficult pic.twitter.com/pC592iYxop

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 29, 2022

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Emojipedia faced criticism last September when it first announced the emoji for “pregnant men.” In response, Emojipedia said that the new emoji could be used to represent trans men, non-bisexuals, or women with short hair, as well as other groups such as people who just finished eating or have a big stomach. 

Both new pregnant emojis also come in five different skin tones. A user can hold their finger on the icon until it shows different skin tone options.

The pregnant woman emoji firs appeared on Apple iPhones in 2016.

Apple’s iPhone is the most popular smartphone among young people in the U.S.  

The tech giant has plans to launch five new MacBooks and an entry-level MacBook Pro in 2022. 

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