Drag queens call for Facebook to overturn stage name ban

Drag queens have called for Facebook to allow them to use their stage names on their profiles.

The social network has a real-name policy designed to “protect the community and increase accountability”, BBC News reports.

However, petitioners have argued that the use of stage names should be allowed in the interest of “privacy, safety, or preference”.

Seattle-based performer, Olivia La Garce, set up the petition, which has so far attracted over 2,000 signatures.

She said: “Although our names might not be our ‘legal’ birth names, they are still an integral part of our identities, both personally and to our communities. These are the names we are known by and call each other and ourselves.

“We build our networks, community, and audience under the names we have chosen, and forcing us to switch our names after years of operating under them has caused nothing but confusion and pain.”

Meanwhile, drag queen Cherry Sur Bete, said: “This isn’t just a matter for nightlife performers, this is a matter for actors and musicians, as well as folks who have chosen a different name simply to avoid potential stalkers.

“Mental health professionals and victims of abuse frequently use a nickname to avoid problematic interactions. Facebook now effectively hands them over to those potential problems.”

Facebook has refused to overturn the ruling in light of the petition, saying: “If people want to use an alternative name on Facebook, they have several different options available to them, including providing an alias under their name on their profile, or creating a Page specifically for that alternative persona.

“As part of our overall standards, we ask that people who use Facebook provide their real name on their profile.”

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