TORONTO — Instagram is making it easier for Canadians to share their pronouns.

The social media platform unveiled a feature this week that gives users the option to display up to four pronouns next to their profile name, which they can choose to display either publicly or only to their followers.

Instagram says the new optional section is being made available after pronoun sharing was already “widely adopted by our community.”

For years, many users had incorporated pronouns into their bio, taking up part of their 150 character limit.

Now, people can choose from a curated list of pronoun options approved by Instagram — a move that’s intended to prevent users from adding inappropriate words.

Among the current selections are “he” and “she,” as well as the non-gender-specific pronouns “they,” “ze” and “ve.”

However, at least one user pointed out that Instagram’s list is missing the gender-neutral Mi’kmaq pronoun “nekm.”

A representative for Instagram did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Instagram’s Twitter account, the company encouraged users to suggest additional pronouns, saying the list would be updated “over time, so that more people around the world can share their pronouns more easily.”

The introduction of gender pronouns on Instagram comes seven years after Facebook, its parent company, introduced the same option for its users.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2021.

David Friend, The Canadian Press