Breastfeeders marching to protest Facebook ban

The number of moms rallying against Facebook's ban of breastfeeding photos (specifically, Facebook says the areola, the dark skin around the nipple, violates a policy on "obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit" material) continues to grow.

Only a handful turned out Saturday "to sing, chant and breast-feed in front of Facebook's downtown Palo Alto headquarters," but thousands more are protesting electronically.

| Sara Shepherd

Comments

[The Golfer]

Sad part is, if they cave, then someone else will sue for allowing obscene pictures. They are in a no win situation.

[Searching]

I dont see where they have any violation here. They dont allow any breasts.. not just breastfeeding breasts.. so it is not discrimination. The breatfeeders just got busted for porn.. under the conditions set forth in the rules.. the same rules everyone else has to follow... by definition all breasts can someday be used for breastfeeding.. so.. screw them.. they really need to work on that hormone after childbirth thing..

[Keith G. in P.V.]

Maybe we need to rethink "obscene."

[The Golfer]

One man's obscene is the next man's no big.

To paraphase the old saying.

[Tim]

get a life!! hell if you want to put pictures of your breast online then just create you a website damn

[Wisdom]

Going to the bathroom is a natural thing too but we don't do it in public for a reason. Same as breastfeeding shouldn't be public.

[aqua]

did somebody say breasts, nipples and areolas?

[Kelly]

Well, I disagree with the comparison of breast feeding to going to the bathroom - but I think this is just the most ridiculous thing to protest. If the Facebook rules say no breasts, then no breasts. Get over it! There are a lot more important issues they can protest if they are just protesting for the sake of protesting. I call bullsh!p. :)

[jeffrey]

if they want to show me their breasts, i'm all for it!

[146]

Me too Jeffery. In fact, I wished they'd notified us sooner that they would be protesting and showing (breast). I would of attended:)

Then again, if their protest win over, will (Face Book) now become (Face/Breast book)?

LMAO,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[AF]

Wisdom, please find a new name for yourself.

[Wisdom]

Sorry if you don't agree with me but I don't want to be at a restaurant eating my meal and have a mother whip out her breast to feed the baby in the middle of the restaurant. Go someplace like the restroom.

It is always stated that it is completely natural and there shouldn't be a problem doing it in public. I disagree. There are many things that we do that are completely natural but they aren't allowed in public, this should be one of those.

Get a breast pump and fill a bottle if it is necessary to feed junior while you are out and about.

[kybo61]

I'm with Wisdom, totally. I'm female, and my mom breastfed me, but thankfully I don't remember it. I do NOT want to see some other woman's boob whipped out when junior(ette) starts howling in the WalMart. I don't care how "natural" it is. Why on earth do these moms think it is so important to include pictures of their kid sucking on their breast on Facebook? When there are so many cute and joyful other things that moms and babies do together? The rule says no boobs, then no boobs. Comparing digital snapshots to fine art statuary and painting is irrelevant and silly.

[Ottawa Mother]

Wisdom, if I am offended by you eating, should you have to do it in a bathroom? No? Then why should my children?

Look, there is a point where breastfeeding is beyond the point of acceptable exposure, especially in public, but if a woman is considerate enough to use a blanket or a privacy screen of some sort, then let her continue eating or shopping or whatever she is doing. If you can't see anything, what is the difference? Mothers certainly should not be punished for doing something that is widely recognized as the best thing for their babies.

As far as this whole Facebook thing goes, I partially agree with kybo61. Breastfeeding may be "beautiful" and "natural", but not everyone thinks so, and there are so many more beautiful pictures you can post.

[Not from Ottawa]

Ottawa Mother, are you from Ottawa, Kansas? If you are, that would explain a lot. Whiskey Tango.

[Street]

"Lactivists" are fighting a losing battle. Remember when CBS had to shell out all that money because Janet Jackson's nipple came out during the Superbowl? I think that sent a pretty clear message that publicly exposed breasts are considered obscene, and if that's Facebook's rule, that's the rule. And I've seen plenty of slips of mothers trying to be "discreet." Oops, nipple! I, a woman of child-bearing age, also agree with Wisdom.

[winkyb2me]

~~ Wisdom, if I am offended by you eating, should you have to do it in a bathroom? No? Then why should my children? Posted by: Ottawa Mother | Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 09:25 AM ~~

Because you're children aren't eating, they're sucking a breast. Big difference. Besides, seeing the table manners of some kids in public, I'd rather they, too, be forced to eat in the bathroom away from public view. (Not necessarily yours, Wisdom.)

:)

[Greg]

You may be offended by my wife breast feeding my daughter. Well, I'm offended about having to sit in the restaurant and watch your obese azz hoard a triple cheeseburger and smack your lips like you haven't eaten in a month. And don't forget to slurp your 44 oz big gulp while ur at it. So as far as I'm concerned...you can go eat in the bathroom.

If you're eating fast food you might as well be eating in the bathroom.

Greg, what do you eat in the bathroom?

Hey, Greg. Do you get a thrill out of your wife exposing herself in public?

[Grassy Knoll]

WOW. Some of you people really need to get lives. If I own a website, and I say "no boobs on my site", what's to protest? Don't use my site if you don't like my rules.

Why would you lash out at others for not wanting to see women feeding their children at the mall or a restaurant? Especially you, Greg. Is this an important issue for you? Insulting people who don't want to see your wife nursing is one of your priorities? I'm 6'2", 210 lbs, but you equate me eating a cheese burger with your wife nursing your child? Huh? I guess your transferring your frustration at "anti-lactivists" onto obese people. That makes sense.

No wonder our country is in such disarray - too many Americans are fixated on themselves and the petty, insignificant facets of their own lives. Figure it out, bro. The world is not about YOU. What a boob.

Such hostility.

[winkyb2me]

Hey for the records, guys. I'm 5'2" and a size 4. NOT obese.

[Johnny]

I don't think what is being protested and what Ottowa Mother is describing are the same thing. If these were pictures of junior's feet sticking out from under a privacy screen or discretion blanket then it wouldn't be an issue. My wife breast fed my two youngest children. Usually, we didn't stay out too long and had a back-up bottle from the pump handy if the kids got hungry but there were times we were gone longer than intended and she had to tuck the kids under a blanket. She was discreet as possible and certainly would have been embarrassed had there been a public nip-slip.

I was 15 when my mom had my baby sister. She boldly whipped her stuff out where ever and when ever she thought sis needed to wet her whistle. That was too much!!! It wasn't something that gave me a warm-n-fuzzy seeing this "natural" act of love. In fact it made me want to throw up in my mouth, not take a picture of mom and sis bonding and then post it on facebook. Show some modesty and cover up!

[steve]

The rules are the rules. You are using facebook for free and you agreed to the rules when you signed up. Dont like it? want to show the world you breastfeeding your kid, buy your own website.

As for breastfeeding in general. Personally, i say let all breasts hang out, why cover them they are all beautiful.

And yes breastfeeding is natural and the best for the child. But I would think that a mother would 1) plan ahead so as to not have to be in the situation of needing to feed the child in public or 2) not want to expose herself in public...I would think most mothers would use a blanket or something to protect themselves.

I was on a plane once and a woman sat down across from me and put the child under a blanket and covered herself completely. I barely even noticed.

Women who whip it out in public do so not out of love or it being natural. These are the women looking for a fight. They want t be noticed and have someone complain.

In the end the whole nature argument doesn't work out. Urinating and defecating are natural as well as intercourse. All of those are illegal in public as well.

i KNOW THIS IS A SHOT IN THE DARK. mOMS IF YOU WANT TO BREAST FEED THEN TAKE YOUR BREAST AND BABIES HOME. tHAT'S WHERE YOU SHOULD BE IN THE FIRST PLACE AT HOME WITH YOUR BABIES! YES IT'S NATURAL AND YES IT'S YOU FEEDING YOUR CHILD. HOWEVER THEY ARE BREAST. AND NOT EVERYONE THISKS YOUR GORGED OUT BREST ARE APPEALING. SO GET OVER YOURSELVES AND JUST FIND SOMETHING BETTER TO PROTEST ABOUT. SHEESH.

[Wisdom]

Hubby is hungry and you have no money now. Hmmmmm. Guess you ought to feed him....LOL

[Moral City USA]

Its true. The open display of the areola is the defining criteria for obscenity. These rules were made many years ago by anti-porn crusaders. You cant have it both ways by saying its ok during breatfeeding. What about 5 seconds after breast feeding? How do legally define when breastfeeding ends and obscene behavior begins? Can't. Just dont go there. I am fine with the law as is. I dont want to see public breastfeeding. No one is telling you that you can't do it. Just dont openly do it in public.

However, the same obscenity law is foolishly applied when they try to indict adult video shops with the same obscenity laws when thier products are concealed from open view and in side a business limited to 18 years or over.

[Moral City USA]

These idiots are protesting someone for complying with the law. Pretty ironic isn't it?

[j.c.]

Exactly, pump your breast for bottles later, do you always have to be with the child what about the theater,what do you do then, i hope you don't bring that screaming child their, what till it gets much older and off the breast.know one wants to see the fat pumping, milk dripping teats except at a farm,LOL

[D-man]

Breasts are natural and I love them. Now I don't see why there's sexual bias towards women on exposure of breasts. I've seen plenty of girls who have about as much upstairs as I do, So why should they have to throw on a bra and cover them up? I'd be for a topless america except for they tend to sag if they're not supported.

[Twinky]

Wisdom I agree with some others...you should change your name because it is misleading. What is your problem with boobs? Breastfeeding is only one of the most beautiful things in the world...a mother nurturing her child. How do you make analogy between breastfeeding and defecating? Why in the world does anybody freak out over this?

Whoever made the post about Greg's wife exposing herself in public.....you are pathetic.

The Facebook issue IMHO is clear. they have a policy of no breasts. It's their website provided free to the public. They should be able to make any rules they deem necessary.

[Wisdom]

Now I don't see why there's sexual bias towards women on exposure of breasts

Posted by: D-man

It would be interesting to find out why the law differentiates between men and women being topless. Was it because a woman's breasts are considered sexual where a man's isn't?

Would that be the case if men couldn't go topless or if women had always been allowed to be topless in public?

Back to the topic....

Do breastfeeding women always have to be around the baby for feeding? Do these women work? My guess is that none of these women work. How else could they say they only breast feed?

Why can't they pump and bottle for these occasions. Another excuse to be a stay-at-home mom.

Please get over it and keep them covered and tethered until in privacy unless you advocate changing the law to go topless...LOL

[Wisdom]

Wisdom, if I am offended by you eating, should you have to do it in a bathroom? No? Then why should my children?

Posted by: Ottawa Mother

LMFAO.... Keep your teats to yourself.

[Twinky]

"Would that be the case if men couldn't go topless or if women had always been allowed to be topless in public?"-wisdom

You might be interested to know that in Florida a woman sued that it was discrimination for men to be allowed to go topless and women not. She won her case. It is obviously discrimination. Have you ever heard of topless women being arrested at the lake? There are hundreds of them every weekend in the party cove.

Wisdom when you were a kid were you beaten with boobs or when you were bad did someone rub your face in some boobs? I ask because man it is weird how uptight you are over breasts. You are starting to sound like some Islamic nutjob.

[Chad]

There are two separate issues here - one, can a private web hosting service set policies on what is "obscene" and two, is it socially acceptable to breastfeed in public.

Facebook can set whatever policy they want for obscenity. I can't imagine a pic of a woman breastfeeding being obscene because it's not sexual - but Facebook, as a private entity, should be able to define it that way if they like.

However, to say that breastfeeding moms should be confined to the home or a disgusting public rest room is intolerant and ignorant. Not every breastfed baby will drink from a bottle, my daughter won't. Does that mean my wife and baby should be restricted in where they can go or what they can do? Of course there is a right and a wrong way to handle it - but my wife may and will breastfeed discretely anytime and anywhere she likes - and if somebody has a problem with that I don't care. Get over it.

[D-man]

Saying a woman's breasts are considered sexual is just one's idea against another's. I could say that a woman's butt cheeks are sexual and be correct, but a woman can display them without persecution. There are some places in the U.S. that allow for equal rights to woman to show their exposed breasts. I do however feel that provocative clothing isn't a right but a privilege.

[Kelly]

I can only think that the people freaking out about a woman breastfeeding in public have not really seen a woman breastfeeding in public....my kids are now 16 and 20, but I breastfed both of them for a little under a year and I can promise you that nobody EVER saw my nipple - not even once - and the most anyone ever saw of my breast was less than a lot of women show when they are just walking around in normal clothes. Most women who breastfeed are more educated and choose to have the best for their baby's health - the women who enjoy flashing their boobs all over are usually the ones who could care less what their baby eats and just prop a bottle in the baby's mouth while it's laying in a infant seat so they can smoke a cig and eat a Big Mac. I'm 40 years old and I can not remember even once seeing a nipple of a woman breastfeeding in public in my whole lifetime - and I had children who I regularly took to parks, playgrounds, other friend's houses who also had baby's being breastfed, etc...I don't understand where you people are seeing all these obscene breastfeeding women flashing their boobs all over the place.

[msmthtchr]

I agree with Kelly. I breastfed both my children, and no one saw my breasts. I planned our outings and feedings to minimize feeding while we were out, But, if we were out and my child got hungry, I went somewhere private (with a little practice, the car works fine). Just this Christmas, my neice, who is breastfeeding, attended our all day family function. When the baby got hungry, she went to another room. Her husband visited her, and some of her female relatives also popped in and out while she was feeding the baby. It is a completely natural thing, but "natural" doesn't mean public. Some things are just better handled in private. And it's time that some of us learned that.

[Midwest Lady]

I'd rather see nutsacks in public than boobs. When am I gonna get to see those?

[Wisdom]

msmthtchr,

^5. I applaud your post. Better stated than what I was typing but I was raising Cain to get reactions...LOL...and boy did I.

[Wisdom]

I'd rather see nutsacks in public than boobs. When am I gonna get to see those?

Posted by: Midwest Lady

Where you at? I'll hook you up on that request...

Everyone has an opinion about this but just look at the expression on her face. She is enjoying the attention that she is getting from this!!!! She must be really hard up and who wants to view her kid sucking on her breasts. She made the age old choice to feed her kid like this but please don't inflict this on the whole world. She is just trying to see what she can get away with to bring attention to herself and is very dumb, ugly and photo should be removed!!!!!