Today, Facebook relationship statuses made strides for gay rights by including civil union and domestic partnership as relationship status options.

Done with the consultation of national LGBT and human rights organizations, the changes are reflected in the profiles of users in North America, France, the U.K. and Australia – a mini-landmark for activists.

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“Facebook has always been an empowering place for gay people–it’s a place you can be yourself in relative safety,” Richard Socarides, president of Equality Matters and former gay rights advisor to president Bill Clinton, told the Huffington Post.”This is a natural progression of that. In most places, gay Americans can’t yet marry but they may be able to formalize their relationship short of marriage. This change reflects that reality. Well done.”

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Previous relationship options included single, in a relationship, engaged, married, it’s complicated, in an open relationship, widowed, separated and divorced. Facebook has yet to comment on the change.