LAHORE (Web Desk) – Organizers of a feminist event promoting a positive image of “fat” women were shocked last Thursday by social networking site Facebook’s refusal to promote a post that publicized their event.
According to the organizers, an Australia-based feminist group called Cherchez la Femme (CLF), the Facebook advertisement team declined their request to promote the event on “health and fitness” grounds, claiming that the event post depicted the female body in an “undesirable manner” and made “viewers feel bad about themselves”.
Angered by the decision, CLF put up Facebook’s response to their query on the initial rejection, which in addition to explaining why the post violated the company’s “health and fitness” standards, also recommends that the organizers use pictures of “a relevant activity” to promote the event, such as a woman “running or riding a bike”.
The social networking website also warned CLF from using other kinds of images, such as those showing “muffin tops”, “women wearing too-tight clothes”, and “pinching cellulite”.
In response, the organizers took to social media to protest the apparent insensitivity in Facebook’s “advice” by posting this image:
Cherchez la Femme is a monthly live feminist talk show that discusses current affairs and popular culture from a feminist perspective.
Their “offensive” post was for an event aiming to discuss fat acceptance, fat activism and fatshion, from a feminist, body-positive perspective.
Their event post, whose promotion request was rejected by Facebook, featured a picture of Tess Holliday, an outspoken feminist and plus-size model.
