--- title: Lobster Emoji Being Used For Trans Advocacy, Trans Emoji description: Maine's lobster emoji has become an unlikely symbol to advocate for transgender representation, thanks to an activism group. canonical: https://time.com/5365725/lobster-emoji-trans-representation/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-08-13T17:38:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:54:18.241Z og:title: Why the Lobster Emoji Is Being Used For Trans Representation og:description: What you need to know about the campaign og:url: https://time.com/5365725/lobster-emoji-trans-representation/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e5bbe2fc720369c/6989379f929fadc1abbf14c9/lobster-emoji-trans-representation.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: USA, Massachusetts, Plymouth, Raw lobster og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why the Lobster Emoji Is Being Used For Trans Representation twitter:description: What you need to know about the campaign twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e5bbe2fc720369c/6989379f929fadc1abbf14c9/lobster-emoji-trans-representation.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's Why People Are Using the Lobster Emoji to Rally for Transgender Representation > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=1d6fafbc-245f-403b-9f26-cb09ba2a6e7d&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 13, 2018 5:38 PM UTC  Jamie Grill—Getty Images/Tetra images RF  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 13, 2018 5:38 PM UTC [Maine’s lobster emoji](http://time.com/4956993/maine-lobster-emoji/) has emerged as an unlikely symbol for transgender representation, thanks to the trans activism group [Lobsters Against Transphobia.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz-Rfn6JOLg) According to the [_Portland Press Herald_](https://www.pressherald.com/2018/08/13/trans-advocates-adopt-lobster-emoji-as-their-own/), the adoption of the lobster emoji as a trans symbol began after the group created an [online petition](https://www.change.org/p/unicode-unicode-google-and-facebook-why-is-there-still-no-trans-flag-emoji) last month asking Unicode to make a pink-and-blue flag, a universally acknowledged symbol in the transgender community, in emoji form. Until a pink-and-blue flag emoji is created, users are encouraged to use the lobster emoji, which was one of [157 emojis approved by Unicode this year.](http://time.com/5139480/redhead-emoji-2018/) (Lobsters can display both male and female characteristics.) In the petition, the group wrote about their reason for advocating for representation. “Emojis are a way for the world to connect, and trans people shouldn’t be left out of the conversation,” they wrote. “Unicode granted the Lobster emoji proposal, which argued that people suffered ‘frustration and confusion’ at having to use a shrimp or crab emoji in instead of a lobster. Imagine if that was your gender. 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