( CNN ) The new emojis are here ! On Thursday , Apple released a new version of its mobile operating system that includes more diversity than ever when it comes to the race , ethnicity and sexual orientation of its emojis -- those cute little images that users can insert into text messages or emails when words alone just wo n't cut it . The reaction to this new lineup is , as should be expected with almost anything new in today 's hypersensitive climate , a range of cheers and jeers . Why is any of this important , you may ask ? For many , these images are far more than tiny clip art for texting . Rather they are seen as recognition that their own ethnicity , sexual orientation , race or even hair color is part of mainstream America -- despite what others might say . This matters in a digital age where texting is how most people communicate and represent themselves dozens -- if not hundreds -- of times every day . Think receiving a text of an image of a person smiling . Or more accurately , think of a white face smiling because up until Thursday 's update , all the emojis had pale skin . But that has all changed . Now there 's a range of emoji skin tones to pick from , including yellow , brown and black . I 'm sure few people will be upset with this development . But how about in December ? Why ? Now that will be able to choose the skin tones for each human emoji , and that will also include ... Santa Claus . That shrieking sound you may have heard was from Fox News ' Megyn Kelly , who famously stated in 2013 that Santa Claus is absolutely , definitely and without a doubt a white guy . In fact , thanks to Apple , we may even see Brown Santa emojis this December . ( Could that mean he 's a Muslim Santa ? ! Cue even more shrieking from Fox News . ) There is more . Apple has now given us gay and lesbian couple emojis , kissing with a heart over their heads . This inclusiveness was cheered by at least one gay news service on Twitter . It 's not yet clear if a person who likes to use same-sex kissing emoji couples can be denied service by a person who objects on grounds of `` religious liberty . '' But it would be interesting to hear what any of the 2016 GOP presidential candidates might have to say about `` gay emojis . '' And I would predict some conservative will claim that the kissing gay emojis will turn children gay . The fact is , when you embrace diversity , you will still leave out other minority groups . Redheads , for example , are pretty pissed off because there are no emojis featuring their hair color . In fact , supporters of a redheaded emoji have started a petition that has already garnered several thousand signatures . Even expanding the flags represented by emojis , as Apple has done , comes at some peril . Apparently Canada is overjoyed that finally Apple has included it . But Armenians are not happy they were left out . I must admit that being partially of Palestinian heritage , it 's heartening to see that despite the fact that some refuse to recognize a Palestinian state , Apple has chosen to now include a Palestinian flag emoji . Armenia , I feel your pain . Of course the bigger question in the whole diverse-emoji issue is : What took Apple so long ? How hard could it have been to add different skin colors to pick from ? That the company ( finally ) did is a step in the right direction : America 's demographics are changing , so our representations of who we are -- even representations as tiny as emojis -- should reflect this . Apple has `` evolved '' in showing diversity -- from brown people to same-sex couples . Maybe `` religious liberty '' conservatives who discriminate will follow .
ObeidallahDean Obeidallah : Apple 's new emoji lineup is diverse in race , ethnicity and sexual orientation . It 's just like America , but what took Apple so long ? Dean Obeidallah asks . He says change may rankle ( or win over ? ) conservatives who discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation .