Facebook recently changed their photo policy to allow breastfeeding pictures after protest a lead by a BYU grad.
Heather Farley, a 2007 BYU graduate, took action against Facebook after they removed photos of her nursing her 9-month-old daughter, Margaret. Facebook removed the photos, claiming she had violated the photo policy restricting photos containing nudity.
Farley reached out for support to a Facebook group called "Hey, Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!"
Farley and the members of the group joined together to hold a virtual and live "nurse-in" on Dec. 27 to protest Facebook's photo policy.
Farley also led a group of 30 people in a three-hour march outside Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif.
"There were not just mothers who supported the protest but fathers, grandparents, and even a group of people from France joined in on the march," Farley said.
I virtual protest was also a success, Farley said, as 11,000 supporters logged on and posted pictures of themselves or others nursing their children.
"I think we saw tremendous success after the protest as the number of the Facebook group members doubled and Facebook came out with a new photo policy allowing breastfeeding pictures that did not show the nipple or areola," Farley said.
Owen Toolsen, a junior accounting student at BYU, agrees with the old photo policy.
"If people think that pictures of women breastfeeding should be allowed because it is something natural there will be nowhere to draw the line," Toolsen said. "There are a lot of natural things out there that we don't need to be posting on Facebook for the world to see."
Farley said the larger moral issue with the ban of breastfeeding pictures is that it creates feelings of negativity toward mothers who breastfeed and it could lead to future mothers shying away from breastfeeding.
"Society says that breastfeeding should be hidden and is shameful," Farley said. "This idea is only reinforced by the stance Facebook has taken."
Seraph Johnston, a 2007 BYU graduate and new mother, agrees with Farley's views on breastfeeding but does not feel Facebook is the best way to demonstrate it.
"I breastfeed because it is healthy and creates a special bond with the baby but I don't feel it is something that should be posted for everyone to see," Johnston said.
kworton@hotmail.com
Copyright Brigham Young University 14 Jan 2009
