1 minute read
I offended Facebook.
In 2021 Co-founder of Be Bold Be You, Kirsty Corbett, hit BBC national headlines after the social media giant, Meta, agreed to review their guidelines after an image of a woman with a scar from a single mastectomy on show was branded sexually explicit on their Facebook platform.
“It’s erotic, maybe a little bit sexy, but not pornographic.” Explains Alison Walker, who opted to have her ovaries removed as well as a double mastectomy after finding out she had the BRCA 2 gene.
“I can look at those photographs and I can embrace the person that I am.”
“The surgery I had was life changing”, explained mum of one Alison. “I did think I would be disappointed with my body after the surgery and I’m not. I embrace the scars because they are a part of who I am now”.
“The genre of boudoir photography is very much about the outfits, about the lingerie and about embracing the skin that you’re in” explains co-founder Kirsty.
“We can have everybody from cancer survivors through to domestic abuse survivors to body dysmorphia.”
“Be Bold Be You is so much more than just a photoshoot”. She went on to say.
The photo in question, which saw Meta put the image in the same category as porn, The image in question was of a parent, in her mid-30’s, with a single mastectomy scar on show following surgery for breast cancer taken back in 2020.
“There was no nipple on show because there wasn’t one to show” explained Kirsty “Who are we to deny somebody the chance to express themselves?”
“If there’s something I don’t like on social media I just unfollow the page” explained Alison. “They need people in the background to ask why it’s not alright… Speak to the individuals and tell them but listen to their sides of the stories as well.”
With the help of the BBC, Be Bold Be You managed to secure a statement from Facebook that read “Our nudity policies have become more nuanced over time.
We understand that nudity can be shared for a variety of reasons… including as a form of protest, to raise awareness about a cause or for educational or medical reasons. We typically removed adult nudity and sexual activity because some people in this community may be sensitive to this type of content.
We do sometimes make mistakes when reviewing content, which is why we give people the opportunity to appeal our decisions.”
Although I don’t feel there has been a change, yet, we’ve been able to highlight the stories and journeys of real people and that is at the heart of what we do, through our work, at Be Bold Be You.
