With Pride Month in full swing, chances are that you've seen friends or followers on social media decorating their feeds in ever hue of the rainbow. If you've tried to put a rainbow ring around your Instagram Stories profile or attempted to experiment with colorful filters to no avail, you might be wondering: Why don't I have Pride features on Instagram and how can I get them? Here's how to start bringing some Pride to your Instagram account.
In a blog post shared on June 10, the social media platform first announced that it was working with GLAAD and other LGBTQ organizations to brighten up your daily scroll through the 'Gram. In addition to the option to update your Instagram Story ring with a rainbow gradient, you can also add fun filters and effects to your Story and your posts by following several prominent members of the LGBTQ community on the app.
At a loss for how to get started? First things first: You'll want to make sure that you have the most up-to-date version of Instagram installed on your phone or other smart device, because you won't be able to access these features otherwise. Once you've updated your Instagram app, there are a few different ways that you can get involved.
According to Instagram's June 10 blog post, the tech giant worked with GLAAD (one of the biggest LGBTQ organizations) to identify hashtags that are commonly used to empower the community and spread awareness about the Pride movement. Per press materials, using "prominent" hashtags such as #lgbtq, #bornperfect, #equalitymatters, #accelerateacceptance, or #pride2019 in your posts in June will make them show up in rainbow lettering. In addition, if you tag these hashtags in your Story, the ring around your Instagram Story will take on a rainbow hue during the 24 hours that that photo, video, or Boomerang is live on the app.
If you're looking to get more creative with your Pride support, you also have the option to head to the accounts of prominent LGBTQ activists to check out their content and try out some colorful filters while you're at it. In the blog post, Instagram names users @codymesh, @amberarcadia, @danmollervfx, @shaunpez, and @chrislprice as examples of influencers who'll be participating, but many more will also be creating Pride-approved camera effects that you can try out yourself. Once you follow the user, you can head to your Instagram camera and you should have access to that person's unique filter, which includes options such as rainbow backgrounds, multi-colored skin effects, and more.
Last but not least, users now have the option to change their gender on their profile if they so choose. In the "Edit Profile" tab, you can go under Private Information to access your Gender. There, you have the option to choose between "female," "male," "prefer not to say," and a "custom" box where you can type in your own identifier.
While Instagram should hopefully always be a positive space, the Trevor Project — the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth — is reminding everyone to be a little kinder and foster love this month with an illustrated safety guide about safeguarding your wellness on the app. Considering that Pride is all about celebrating love in its many forms, I'd take a look at it and refresh yourself before brightening up your Instagram feed.
