Drag Queens Angry Over Facebook Stage Name Ban

Angry drag queens have complained to Facebook (NasdaqGS: FB - news) after their accounts were deleted for failing to comply with the company's policy that users must post under their real name.

The social media giant has locked hundreds of accounts because they do not comply with site's policy in recent weeks.

But drag queens say the use of aliases protects them from other employers, family members and stalkers.

Many also see their stage names as an integral part of their identity and use their Facebook pages to promote gigs.

Sister Roma, a member of a group of drag queen performers and activists, said: "Abused women, bullied teens, transgender people ... [there are] a million different people with a million different reasons to use fake names."

The group, along with other performers and a San Francisco politician met Facebook representatives on Wednesday to demand it change its policy, but the company only agreed to reinstate the profiles so they could be amended to use a real name or be converted into fan sites.

Among those who had their accounts suspended were San Francisco artists Pollo Del Mar and Heklina.

Pollo Del Mar said on her temporarily restored page: "I chose to create a profile which allows people to address me as the vast majority knows me.

"Many of the people connected to me via this account have never once interacted with me sans makeup, much less knew (or needed to know) my birth name.

"That said, I should never have to justify my decisions regarding this matter.

"What name I opt to be known by should be MY decision; not society’s, not my parents, not friends and family and CERTAINLY not Facebook's."

Facebook said its policy "helps prevent bad behaviour, while creating a safer and more accountable environment".

It added that performers and others have additional ways of keeping their stage identities on the site, including creating pages that are meant for businesses and public figures.

The drag queens plan a series of protests and boycotts if the company does not change its policy.

Some political activists, especially those living in countries with hardline governments, have also criticised the policy, saying they could face danger if their real identities are revealed.

In 2011, it emerged that Chinese blogger and activist Michael Anti, whose legal name is Zhao Jing, had his profile deleted because he was not using his given name.