Snapchat’s new photo filter that allows users to change into a man or woman with the tap of a finger isn’t necessarily fun and games for transgender people.
Some say it reduces their very real and often painful experiences to folly.
Thirty-one-year-old Bailey Coffman is a transgender woman from New York. She says that “my gender is not a costume.”
But some others see the potential for such tools to lead to self-discovery among people struggling with their gender identity.
Elliott Wheeler, a 16-year-old high school student in Michigan, goes by the name Ellie. She says she hopes “this does help some people better recognize their gender.”
Snapchat maker Snap Inc. says in a statement that its design team continues work to ensure its filters are diverse and inclusive.