MARRIAGE EQUALITY EMOJIS!
NEW GAYMOJI APP LETS LGBTQ COMMUNITY SPEAK VOLUMES WITH SPECIALLY DESIGNED EMOTICONS
Designed By Queers, For Queers, iPhone/iPad App Features Downloadable Keyboard
June 27, 2015 – AUSTIN /LGBT News/ Humans have used symbols to communicate since the first hominids scratched pictograms onto cave walls. But in the thoroughly modern age of emojis, commonly available images just don’t fit every user. That’s why a trio of creative Austinites developed Gaymoji — a new app featuring a series of emoticons designed by and for members of the LGBT community. The user-friendly iPhone/iPad app, available in Apple’s iTunes store, includes a downloadable keyboard for iOS8 users; those with older operating systems may copy and paste images.
Now the LGBTQ community can express their excitement over the SOCTUS marriage equality verdict with emojis!! From the ultra-clever turkey baster emoji to the gaybie onesie, rainbow animal paw anddouble mens and womens wedding rings, Gaymoji are designed to “speak” for the lesbian, gay, bi andunder-represented transgender faimilies. The 99-cent app features a colorful mix of obvious and subtle,humorous and straightforward images (including human-rights and trans-equality signs).
The app was conceived and developed by Janet Jensen, Eric Gerzymisch and Rich Bond, doingbusiness as Whapp! LLC. All three are members of Austin’s filmmaking community: Jensen managesthe creative, Gerzymisch coded the app and Bond handles the business side.
In a recent New York magazine article on the subject, Adam Sternbergh observes, “Emoji are a secretcode language made up of symbols that everyone already intuitively understands.”Adds Bond, “Emojisare a new way of expressing ourselves; it’s a whole new language.”
But standard emojis don’t speak adequately for members of the LGBT community, as Jensen knowsfrom both her own experience and the subjects of her in-progress documentary; for the past two years,she has been following three young professionals as they complete their transition from female to male.“Transgender rights are something that I feel passionately about,” she explains. “I wanted my transfriends to be able to express themselves with emojis, too.”
“While shooting my film, I have become involved in the Austin queer community and questionedeveryone about what emojis they would like to see. I wanted to create a unique way of expressingourselves that was specific to our experiences,” Jensen explains.
As more and more of our communication takes place in shorthand bursts, emoji are gaining popularityamong users of all ages and persuasions. With Gaymoji, the LGBTQ community can now emotevisually, too — with pride.
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