Ride share app Lyft will allow riders to choose gender-neutral pronouns as part of its “Two is Too Few” campaign, reported PinkNews.
Along with binary he/him and she/her pronouns, Lyft will also be offering the choice of they/them pronouns to people who book rides through the app. Riders can also choose an option that says their pronoun isn’t listen or not to disclose their gender identity at all.
“We want to use every interaction to promote respect and inclusion on our platform for riders and drivers, and this campaign delivers that for our drivers and riders,” said Monica Poindexter, the Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Lyft. She added that limiting riders to only the two binary options was “outdated, wrong, and hurtful.”
Although drivers won’t be able to reap the benefit of the new options, as they aren’t able to disclose their preferred pronouns with the rider, Lyft will offer other benefits to transgender drivers in an initiative with the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). As part of Pride 2019, the company and the organization will partner to offer legal advice, as well as $200 of financial support, to drivers who wish to change their legal name as part of their gender transition.
Mara Keisling, the executive director of the NCTE, said the organization was “thrilled” the company was pursuing the initiative.
“The legal name change process is an economic and bureaucratic burden on transgender people nationwide,” Keisling said. “The cost alone denies many people the human dignity of living as their true self and transgender people across the country know the pain of being forced to carry a name that Is not their own. We thank Lyft for supporting its drivers in this important recognition of their humanity, their identity, and their liberty.”
Lyft has consistently supported the LGBTQ community and ensured their app is inclusive of all. The company has a “Round Up and Donate” program, which allows riders to round up their fare to the nearest dollar and donate the difference to a charity. Since 2017, the program has raised $3 million for the Human Rights Campaign. Lyft also touts an anti-discrimination policy that prohibits drivers and passengers from discriminating based on gender identity and sexual orientation.