Self-expression, for most people, is an incredibly important part of truly feeling confident in their own skins and being proud of who they are. For members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially those who may face discrimination in their own homes or on a much more personal scale, self-expression, while very necessary for many when it comes to confidence and security in identity, can be hard. 

Going hand-in-hand with self-expression, in regards to things that help LGBTQ+ people feel valid and appreciated, is representation. In movies, books, TV shows, and any form of content or media that people consume, representation is always important. Seeing good LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media helps people who identify similarly feel seen, heard, and valid. On the other hand, seeing little to no LGBTQ+ representation in the media people consume can be incredibly harmful, hurtful, and invalidating to many. This is why it is so incredibly important that representation is not only present in media but also strays from harmful stereotypes and is non-degrading in its presence. 

Now, to tie this all back to the whole point of this petition. Emojis have long been used for self-expression. Whether you're just trying to convey a simple emotion with a smiley face or are creating an "aesthetic" chain of your favorite emojis so that people can see the sort of things you're interested in, we all use emojis on a daily basis to communicate and express ourselves. So, if we can use any number of emojis to express how we're feeling, where we are, or to just communicate our thoughts to others, why shouldn't we be able to use emojis to express more meaningful parts of our identity such as our sexuality or orientation. 

Just as you can customize the skin tone of any number of human emojis, I think that phone manufacturing companies should allow users of their products to choose from any number of LGBTQ+ flags. Although there is already a rainbow flag emoji (at least for Apple users) I have always thought there should be more flags for those who want to express themselves with more specificity and show off their pride on a more personal scale. 

We know that with each new software update, there are usually new emojis added to the keyboard and I think it would be incredibly helpful and validating for there to be a wider selection of LGBTQ+ flag emojis available to all phone users who wish to express themselves on social media and be proud of who they are. After going such a long time having to figure out subtle ways to express myself and my sexuality online, plus often feeling invalidated by the lack of representation in the media, having more LGBTQ+ flags at my fingertips would be a welcome change to my keyboard and would truly help me, and I'm sure many others, express themselves better. 

I don't really know if this is something others have thought of before but as I've thought about it more I've realized it is important to me and I hope that it is important to you too.