Facebook disapproves of breastfeeding

You can meet a President while breastfeeding,
but you can't post your photo on Facebook...

I just read in the SMH that Facebook has been removing pictures that feature breastfeeding from women's profiles, and has even banned some women who resisted its actions. You don't need to be a breastfeeding mother to know how idiotic Facebook's decision, presumably aimed at catering to a tiny minority of perverted prudes who think that breastfeeding is some kind of sex act, is.

I wrote them an email and joined up to the group 'Hey Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!', and invited all 72 people in our friends list to join (some of them may no doubt be bemused, but Gam and I are both in fields where we've learned a lot about the importance of breast milk to a baby's health). I urge anyone who is a member of Facebook to join this group, and if you can be bothered, write them an email too.

Dear Facebook,

What on earth is wrong with you people, banning women from facebook who
post pictures of themselves breastfeeding? Breastfeeding is legal, it's
natural -it's not 'obscene'. Your decision is also massively sexist-
Facebook doesn't seem to have a problem where pictures of shirtless guys
at the beach are posted, yet it has a problem with women showing a bit
of areola while in the act of feeding their babies. If anything pictures
of people bottle-feeding their baby with formula are more obscene
because they're promoting a method of feeding babies that is detrimental
to their health. I haven't heard about Facebook getting its knickers in
a knot over that- I wonder why?

Facebook is catering to a tiny minority of morons who don't realise that
if they think there is something sexy or obscene about a woman
breastfeeding they have problems and should be seeking psychological
help. Grow a brain, guys.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah

Details of the exchanges between Facebook and some of the 'lactivists' (great word, isn't it?) are available on the blog 'One small step for breastfeeding...'