# Instagram Censors Photo of Fully Clothed Woman on Period, Causes Uproar



## rexbobcat

More moral outrage in the first world.

Honestly, I don't think it should be censored, but wow, this is what people consider...oppression...

NSFW (blood)

This Instagram Was Deleted Because It Showed A Woman s Menstrual Blood


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## KmH

PC.


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## limr

No, not PC. What the hell does period blood have to do with political correctness?

And yeah, I'd be pissed if it were my photo and it were removed twice. Why should it be censored? Because it has blood? Please, with all the violent content that is readily available in the media, they'd be really upset about a little bit of blood? Nope, not it. There seem to be other pictures on Instagram that show blood and they were kept up.

She's fully-clothed, so it's not nudity. She's not performing a sexual act or harming herself. That's not it.

Oh, she has her period! UNCLEAN!

Censorship might not seem like oppression, but the less outraged we get about it, the more it will happen until it does become oppressive (and some might already think it has) As for oppression felt by woman about menstruation? That is not an imaginary first-world problem. Sure, here it might "only" a shameful little secret that we women have to keep, but it's not like that everywhere. It's still a very real problem in much of the world, where women's freedom is severely restricted when they have their periods because it's shameful and dirty, and they can't be in the presence of society when they are "unclean" and "untouchable."


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## pixmedic

#firstworldproblems

(well, the instagram part anyway)


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## W.Y.Photo

As Limr has already stated this sort of censorship definitely borders on the oppressive. 

Imagine if instagram started censoring images of people with missing limbs or genetic disorders like Downs because "noone wants to look at that". Thats essentially what they are doing with this... 

...and its not like its some useless snapshot like "Lolz, l00k i g0tz my peri0dz" It's a meaningful series with the intent of making the period less of a "Taboo" subject. Censorship in that range borders on violating peoples rights.


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## rexbobcat

I'm not saying it's not a problem, but this case of censorship has about as much clout at a company firing an employee because their activity on social media does not fall in line with their code of ethics.


The conversation is important, but I don't think this is the best example to wave as a flag for the oppressed and censored, especially when this incident is not isolated among only this type of image.

Michael Stokes, for example, got a 30-day ban from Facebook for posting and image of two clothed men kissing in police uniforms. Someone reported the post. Social media, because of its reach and size, rely on community moderating. One person might have flagged this post, and one other person working for IG might have deleted it along with however many others they were looking at.

I just can't get mad at Facebook for deleting gay images in the same way that I get mad at ISIS for throwing an allegedly gay man off a building to his death. I just...can't...It's not the same.


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## pixmedic

well, with some small fear of seeming like im accusing someone of making mountains out of molehills....
instagram, FB, Flickr...whatever the site happens to be, is a private company. Like TPF. 
i would be surprised if they didn't have some clause in the EULA letting them pretty much arbitrarily decide what content they can filter and to what degree.  

i would feel fairly certain  that they simply buckled under what might have been social pressures, OR, maybe it just got reported multiple times and was deleted by a mod with a hair trigger just trying to err on the side of caution. It  happens to the best of us.


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## rexbobcat

It's a slippery slope, though. I mean, why do they censor nonsexual nakedness? We're all born naked. 

I understand the sentiment, and I agree with it, but we're not really talking about _rights_ as it pertains to the government and the state's ability to suppress the flow of free thought and information across the board.

We're discussing a free service that people voluntarily use or don't use. Besides, I can't imagine that she thought IG would have no problem with it. I think IG did exactly what she wanted them to do: prove her point, and get her publicity.

Like I said, this is an important topic, but there are sooooooo many better examples that help illustrate the harm of this mentality. The hyperbolistic response to this particular event just kind of dilutes the response to issues that women are dealing with that really warrant such a reaction.


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## pixmedic

rexbobcat said:


> It's a slippery slope, though. I mean, why do they censor nonsexual nakedness? We're all born naked.
> 
> I understand the sentiment, and I agree with it, but we're not really talking about _rights_ as it pertains to the government and the state's ability to suppress the flow of free thought and information across the board.
> 
> We're discussing a free service that people voluntarily use or don't use. Besides, I can't imagine that she thought IG would have no problem with it. I think IG did exactly what she wanted them to do: prove her point, and get her publicity.
> 
> Like I said, this is an important topic, but there are sooooooo many better examples that help illustrate the harm of this mentality. The hyperbolistic response to this particular event just kind of dilutes the response to issues that women are dealing with that really warrant such a reaction.



plus...you know...it was kinda gross


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## 480sparky

There's a sign hanging right by my front door.







I'm with pixmedic.  So when you're on Instgrams' website, you're at their house.  So you get to play by their rules.

If you don't like their rules, don't play there.  Go somewhere else, or start your own website so you can play by your rules.


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## rexbobcat

pixmedic said:


> rexbobcat said:
> 
> 
> 
> It's a slippery slope, though. I mean, why do they censor nonsexual nakedness? We're all born naked.
> 
> I understand the sentiment, and I agree with it, but we're not really talking about _rights_ as it pertains to the government and the state's ability to suppress the flow of free thought and information across the board.
> 
> We're discussing a free service that people voluntarily use or don't use. Besides, I can't imagine that she thought IG would have no problem with it. I think IG did exactly what she wanted them to do: prove her point, and get her publicity.
> 
> Like I said, this is an important topic, but there are sooooooo many better examples that help illustrate the harm of this mentality. The hyperbolistic response to this particular event just kind of dilutes the response to issues that women are dealing with that really warrant such a reaction.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> plus...you know...it was kinda gross
Click to expand...


I mean, it's not something I would put on the Internet. I can't stand _real_ blood in any capacity. It runs in the family (ironically since my mom's a nurse). One time at school we had this drunk driving seminar that included a skit with fake blood. My brother fainted immediately.

But I still think she's totally in her right to do it.

It's just rather annoying how she's not using this publicity to help move the conversation along. Instead of bringing to the table a thoughtful discussion about why this issue goes beyond just "Ew that's gross, delete" and how changing public perception is actually a step in the right direction for changing women's rights for the better across the globe, she went this route:

*"i bleed each month to help make humankind a possibility. my womb is home to the divine..."
*
Yeah, I think Tumblr can have Rupi Kaur. I'll be paying attention to Malala Yousafzai and others.


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## limr

But their rules are enforced in a completely arbitrary way, so just why am I supposed to play with them? Not to mention that the picture in question didn't even break the rule.


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## limr

rexbobcat said:


> It's just rather annoying how she's not using this publicity to help move the conversation along. Instead of bringing to the table a thoughtful discussion about why this issue goes beyond just "Ew that's gross, delete" and changing public perception is actually a step in the right direction for changing women's rights for the better across the globe, she went this route:
> 
> *"i bleed each month to help make humankind a possibility. my womb is home to the divine..."
> *
> Yeah, I think Tumblr can have Rupi Kaur. I'll be paying attention to Malala Yousafzai and others.



But she did move the conversation along by writing a hell of a lot more than that soundbite provided above.  When Instagram took her picture down the second time, she posted the picture on Facebook with more than 500 words of commentary on it.
The Removal Of Rupi Kaur s Instagram Photos Shows How Terrified We Are Of Periods


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## runnah

Why would someone post that anyways?


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## limr

runnah said:


> Why would someone post that anyways?



Read the link I posted above - it gives the picture more context. It was part of a larger project she was doing for her university studies.


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## runnah

limr said:


> runnah said:
> 
> 
> 
> Why would someone post that anyways?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Read the link I posted above - it gives the picture more context. It was part of a larger project she was doing for her university studies.
Click to expand...



Its bodily waste, since when did that turn into a political statement?


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## rexbobcat

limr said:


> rexbobcat said:
> 
> 
> 
> It's just rather annoying how she's not using this publicity to help move the conversation along. Instead of bringing to the table a thoughtful discussion about why this issue goes beyond just "Ew that's gross, delete" and changing public perception is actually a step in the right direction for changing women's rights for the better across the globe, she went this route:
> 
> *"i bleed each month to help make humankind a possibility. my womb is home to the divine..."
> *
> Yeah, I think Tumblr can have Rupi Kaur. I'll be paying attention to Malala Yousafzai and others.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> But she did move the conversation along by writing a hell of a lot more than that soundbite provided above.  When Instagram took her picture down the second time, she posted the picture on Facebook with more than 500 words of commentary on it.
> The Removal Of Rupi Kaur s Instagram Photos Shows How Terrified We Are Of Periods
Click to expand...


Ah, I didn't see that.

I still think she's trying too hard to appeal to emotion instead of trying to educate, even though she did bring to the reader's attention some issues she has faced. I feel like she's patting herself on the back without really giving us anywhere to go.

I hope she goes forward with the project in some way, because awareness by itself is the laziest (albeit most common) form of activism.


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## rexbobcat

I think I'm just jaded against online activism, because it often seems to go nowhere after the fact.

"Okay, I did that project and got lots of publicity. Now, time to move on to the next cause."

I always hold out hope that it doesn't turn into that, however.


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## rexbobcat

Double post


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## Mattis

I have extreme respect for women for having to deal with that nonsense every month. Bleeding from your genitals? Cramps? No thank you! If women ever take over the world they have earned it, that crap is mental!

As for the whole Instagram thing, they decide what can and can not be posted there. She doesn't own that website. It sucks but that's how it goes. At this point she might as well use the attention she is getting from the media to promote her own website. That would be more effective than whining about Instagram removing the photos...


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## W.Y.Photo

480sparky said:


> There's a sign hanging right by my front door.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm with pixmedic.  So when you're on Instgrams' website, you're at their house.  So you get to play by their rules.
> 
> If you don't like their rules, don't play there.  Go somewhere else, or start your own website so you can play by your rules.



I understand this. I don't think anyone's saying that instagram doesn't have the legal right to do this.. just that its wrong for them to over-censor such a public forum. I mean its like the whole net neutrality argument.. such a public area should be held somewhat responsible (at least by its users) for allowing freedom of expression, otherwise, why don't our landlords just stop letting women have periods in their apartments? Why not put up "No Period's allowed" signs on all the women's restrooms in private establishments?


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## runnah

To me it's the wrong way and place to make a message. 

It's gross, no different than showing skid marks in underwear or semen on a sock. Just because it's natural and happens doesn't mean the world wants to see it.


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## rexbobcat

runnah said:


> To me it's the wrong way and place to make a message.
> 
> It's gross, no different than showing skid marks in underwear or semen on a sock. Just because it's natural and happens doesn't mean the world wants to see it.



It's a double-edged sword in today's society. If you're too civil, too thorough and balanced with your arguments, then you probably won't be noticed.

However, if you try to get the attention of the public by shocking their sensibilities, you run the risk of insulating yourself in a cocoon of like-minded individuals, making it impossible to reach those who need to hear and understand your message the most.


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## photoguy99

It's not at all clear what rule or guideline she violated. The only thing that appears applicable is the "no mature content" in the community guidelines, which specifies that you ought not put pictures up you wouldn't show a child. I think you can make a case that children are _exactly_ who should see this sort of content. There's no end of little board books with titles like You And Your Monthly Visit From The Blood Fairy for girls that cover this exact same thing.

It's just instagram being a bunch of prudes again.

I'm regularly disheartened by TPF's attitude of "meh, photography for political/social change? that's just PC crap. can't we talk about DoF some more?". I mean, it's a _photography_ forum. It's right there in the name. Photography has been a potent sword for the forces of change for a century. It's kind of a thing it _does._ It's practically built in.


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## pixmedic

photoguy99 said:


> It's not at all clear what rule or guideline she violated. The only thing that appears applicable is the "no mature content" in the community guidelines, which specifies that you ought not put pictures up you wouldn't show a child. I think you can make a case that children are _exactly_ who should see this sort of content. There's no end of little board books with titles like You And Your Monthly Visit From The Blood Fairy for girls that cover this exact same thing.
> 
> It's just instagram being a bunch of prudes again.
> 
> I'm regularly disheartened by TPF's attitude of "meh, photography for political/social change? that's just PC crap. can't we talk about DoF some more?". I mean, it's a _photography_ forum. It's right there in the name. Photography has been a potent sword for the forces of change for a century. It's kind of a thing it _does._ It's practically built in.



well, while I agree with you to some extent, I would like to clarify something, just for the record. 
I will preempt my statement by first saying that on this forum,  the Mods dont make the rules. 
I am going to assume that most social media sites are similar in that fact, and that there is some sort of moderation team that handles content. 
in the case of TPF, there are rules against discussions on religion, politics, and even (technically speaking) brand wars. 
posting a picture showing some form of social or political commentary isnt a problem, so long as the discussion is tailored towards the picture(s) itself, and not on political issues. yes, its "built in" to photography to some extent...but the forum still has rules in place, so the commentary  has to stick to the picture. 

its possible that some instagram mods deleted the post due to multiple reports. maybe they just jumped the gun, maybe they were just erring on the side of caution. in the end, whether because of social media pressure or just mod team discussion, the pictures were put back with an apology. thats as much as instagram can do really. 
sometimes thats the best we can do here too. i have seen many pictures deleted, and then after a discussion, reposted. 

its not a perfect system, but its what we have. sometimes we just have to make do and roll with the punches.


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## rexbobcat

photoguy99 said:


> It's not at all clear what rule or guideline she violated. The only thing that appears applicable is the "no mature content" in the community guidelines, which specifies that you ought not put pictures up you wouldn't show a child. I think you can make a case that children are _exactly_ who should see this sort of content. There's no end of little board books with titles like You And Your Monthly Visit From The Blood Fairy for girls that cover this exact same thing.
> 
> It's just instagram being a bunch of prudes again.
> 
> I'm regularly disheartened by TPF's attitude of "meh, photography for political/social change? that's just PC crap. can't we talk about DoF some more?". I mean, it's a _photography_ forum. It's right there in the name. Photography has been a potent sword for the forces of change for a century. It's kind of a thing it _does._ It's practically built in.



I don't think it's a bad thing that we want to critique these projects. Their noble intent does not make them beyond reproach.

How the message is delivered, as well as the container its delivered in, all matter just as much as the message itself.


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## limr

runnah said:


> To me it's the wrong way and place to make a message.
> 
> It's gross, no different than showing skid marks in underwear or semen on a sock. Just because it's natural and happens doesn't mean the world wants to see it.



Period blood isn't the same as skid marks. They are preventable. People can learn to wipe their own arses properly. A woman can't always prevent leaking, and if it happens, it's not the result of poor hygiene. Some women bleed so heavily that they have to change pads constantly. Nighttime is always a problem unless you want to wake up every few hours to change. 

I would argue that possibly semen on a sock might be more equivalent because there are certainly places where masturbation is considered a shameful act that requires punishment or shunning. Then a picture of the sock would be a form of activism - talking about a taboo, or showing a picture, drawing attention to a taboo is itself breaking the taboo and calling for change. 

However, masturbation is still a voluntary act, and it doesn't have to be done into a sock. Menstruation is not voluntary, and yet it's still considered shameful, like it's our fault. If her purpose was to start a dialogue about our perceptions of menstruation, then how else does one do that effectively? Would this conversation really be happening if just posted the text she wrote without accompanying pictures?


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## runnah

Couple not so serious points.

1. Skid marks aren't alway preventable
2. Masturbation isn't always voluntary.

Serious points.

1. What's the end game here?
2. Regardless of the intent is it still not less than appealing?
3. I get not shaming but are we to celebrate?


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## limr

runnah said:


> Couple not so serious points.
> 
> 1. Skid marks aren't alway preventable
> 2. Masturbation isn't always voluntary.



Fair enough. I guess 



> Serious points.
> 
> 1. What's the end game here?
> 2. Regardless of the intent is it still not less than appealing?
> 3. I get not shaming but are we to celebrate?



1. Supposedly, it's to make menstruation less taboo so that women aren't shamed for it anymore. And shaming is the least of it in most places. In parts of the world, women are shunned, not even allowed to leave their own homes while menstruating.

2. It doesn't matter if the picture is appealing. In fact, I would think that it's kind of the point: leaking is not really a pleasant fact of menstruation, but is it really grosser than all the other stuff that's on the Internet that is NOT being censored by anyone?
Her words from her Facebook post (Rupi Kaur - Timeline Photos Facebook)


> as a part of my final project for my visual rhetoric course i created this image along with a full set which you can view at www.rupikaur.com to demystify the period and make something that is innate "normal" again cause rape categories in porn are okay. objectification and sexualization is okay. people getting off on naked underage women. bondage. torture. humiliation. abuse is okay but this makes them uncomfortable. that's what this work is supposed to do. make you as uncomfortable as you should feel when you watch others get abused and objectified.



3. I think her point is that it should be normalized, not seen as sick, dirty, and secretive. Again, her words from the same post:


> in older civilizations this blood was considered holy. in some it still is. but a majority of people. societies. and communities shun this natural process. some are more comfortable with the pornification of women. the sexualization of women. the violence and degradation of women than this. they cannot be bothered to express their disgust about all that. but will be angered and bothered by this.


So it's not really about "celebrating" menstruation, but simply not being outraged by it.


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## The_Traveler

As far as the post, it was a deliberate, successful and great provocative act.
More power to her.


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## Overread

You know thinking on it we'd probably have moved that to the NSFW section here. Instagram hasn't got one of them though. 

Context is important; that photo posted on its own without the attention brought to it and chances are we'd have had reports here. Right now though I suspect we'd have the opposite effect because of this situation; which you can take however you want though if it results in promotion of acceptance over natural body events then I'd say its a good thing


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## Bill Quinn

It is a very degrading picture of a woman.  That seem to be the way to day, we allow degrading of a person or a group of people  out of fear or ignorance. "First Amendment does not give one the right to yell "Fire" in a theater"--Justice Oliver W. Holmes.


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## The_Traveler

Bill Quinn said:


> It is a very degrading picture of a woman.  That seem to be the way to day, we allow degrading of a person or a group of people  out of fear or ignorance. "First Amendment does not give one the right to yell "Fire" in a theater"--Justice Oliver W. Holmes.



Actually what is meant is that one should not yell fire if there isn't fire.

I don't find the picture particularly appealing but it is meant to be provocative and it's working quite well.
Maybe you find it appalling, unpleasant, even disgusting but saying it is 'degrading' doesn't seam right.
Does it degrade women?  
There is no implication that she was forced into posing.
You don't like it but you don't speak either for everyone else or for all woman. 
Perhaps your response is what the picture is meant to expose?
That woman who are having their menses should not be considered as disgusting and that a natural act shouldn't be a cause for disgust.


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## Bill Quinn

Of course I speaking for myself. Forced is not just physical. Forced comes in many different ways. Woman in the picture may have not known what the person taking the picture wanted. In fact did the person taking the picture known what he or she wanted from the picture? If it was to expose. Expose what? To show a natural act is should a way is taking advantage of woman who has no  control over it, than the picture itself become degrade .
PS: Read books on Trotsky and his own works. He use a hammer for every thing.


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## bribrius

okay. I just thought it was a little gross, but mostly just stupid. Nothing real enlightening here. Not provocative. Just .. stupid. Attention seeker raising a dramatic no cause flag. They should kick her out of university just for being stupid and a little twacked.


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## limr

Bill Quinn said:


> Of course I speaking for myself. Forced is not just physical. Forced comes in many different ways. Woman in the picture may have not known what the person taking the picture wanted. In fact did the person taking the picture known what he or she wanted from the picture? If it was to expose. Expose what? To show a natural act is should a way is taking advantage of woman who has no  control over it, than the picture itself become degrade .
> PS: Read books on Trotsky and his own works. He use a hammer for every thing.



Please read the article and the other links posted in this thread. You'll see that the woman in the picture did in fact know that the picture was being taken, and in fact _directed_ the picture to be taken. Her purpose for not only that picture but a whole series of pictures about menstruation was to reveal the *hypocrisy *of people being outraged and disgusted by menstrual blood while at the same time *NOT *being outraged and disgusted by pictures of naked or scantily-clad women that were overly sexualized and objectified.


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## bribrius

runnah said:


> limr said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> runnah said:
> 
> 
> 
> Why would someone post that anyways?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Read the link I posted above - it gives the picture more context. It was part of a larger project she was doing for her university studies.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Its bodily waste, since when did that turn into a political statement?
Click to expand...

she "demystified" the female period. Come on dude. That is something we will never have to wonder about again...  i am sure you are just like me in being kept up at night wondering about this sort of thing...
what a period can mean to a guy:

1."oh good, maybe they aren't pregnant then."
2."crap,  they asked me to stop and pick up tampons"
3."i wonder if this is why she is so b*tchy today"
4."i won't get laid for a week. This sucks"
5."she isn't swimming, must have something to do with that period thing"
6."better her than me"
7."okay, is her attitude legit or is she using this all as a excuse?"
8."More stained underwear? She must buy a lot of underwear."
yep, total mystery.


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## vintagesnaps

Nothing I haven't seen before (and/or experienced but never felt inclined to take pictures); if anything it seems documentary in nature. I don't get what it's violating but then I don't use Instagram (read their Terms once and that was the end of it for me).

Seems like the reaction helped confirm her point in doing what she did for her class project.


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## Bill Quinn

For confirm her point she get a grade or some thing like that for her class project. Than walk away and on to some other class project. Not so fast lady. By posting that picture or pictures you have become part of the battle for woman's rights and dignities. Walk away and who  now showing hypocrisy.


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## limr

Bill Quinn said:


> For confirm her point she get a grade or some thing like that for her class project. Than walk away and on to some other class project. Not so fast lady. By posting that picture or pictures you have become part of the battle for woman's rights and dignities. Walk away and who  now showing hypocrisy.



Who's walking away? She fought to get the picture put back up. She intentionally joined the battle. Who said anything about walking away?


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## Bill Quinn

Good, I found out the true about what was the reason for the picture. "I disagree in what you said, but I will defend your right to said it" Voltaire


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## bribrius




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