Facebook today announced it’s added 70 new gender options to the UK to better reflect the diverse nature of UK society. The social media site has worked with Press For Change and Gendered Intelligence to choose the new options which just for the UK market include, intersex man, asexual, and hermaphrodite.

Speaking to The Independent, Facebook’s policy director in the UK Simon Milner said: “It’s all about Facebook enabling people to be themselves, and making users feel comfortable in how they express themselves and how they talk about the issues that matter to them.”

Facebook users also can suggest their own gender option and choose pronouns on how they’d like to be described – male (he/his), female (she/her) or neutral (they/their). The company says there is no way for marketers to target people in the new gender groups at present.

With such a high profile organisation taking a lead on equality and diversity, hopefully it will prompt other businesses to review their policies and practices, including those in creative industries like ourselves.