What counts as a 'real name' on Facebook?

http://socialnetworkingnews.org/what-counts-as-a-real-name-on-facebook/

Several gay and transgender entertainers reported last week that Facebook temporarily suspended their personal accounts for not providing their “real name.”

San Francisco drag queen Sister Roma — a member of activist group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — begrudgingly made the change on her personal profile to Michael Williams, a name she has not used publicly for 27 years. She registered her contempt for the policy on social media, leading others to come forward with similar claims using the hashtag #MyNameIs.

Since then, the issue has raised concern beyond the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community that anyone could lose their account for not agreeing to Facebook’s definition of a “real name.” It also raises questions around identity and the right to self-determination on social media — whether you’re a drag queen, a mental health provider or an everyday user grasping for some semblance of privacy.

Source: www.abc17news.com

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