“Millions of pictures of very naked, skinny white women can be found on Instagram every day. But a fat Black woman celebrating her body is banned? It was shocking to me.”
%20on%20Oct%2015,%202020%20at%2011:28am%20PDT%20%0A%0AIn%20an%20interview%20with%20the%20Observer%20in%20August,%20Nicholas-Williams%20said:%20%22Millions%20of%20pictures%20of%20very%20naked,%20skinny%20white%20women%20can%20be%20found%20on%20Instagram%20every%20day.%20But%20a%20fat%20Black%20woman%20celebrating%20her%20body%20is%20banned?%20It%20was%20shocking%20to%20me.%20I%20feel%20like%20I’m%20being%20silenced.”%0A%0AA%20spokesperson%20from%20Instagram%20said%20to%20the%20Guardian%20that%20pictures%20of%20Nicholas-Williams%20were%20originally%20taken%20down%20as%20“we%20do%20not%20allow%20breast%20squeezing%20because%20it%20can%20be%20most%20commonly%20associated%20with%20pornography.%22%0A%0ACameron,%20who%20has%20been%20a%20photographer%20for%20over%20a%20decade,%20said:%20“I%20have%20posted%20photos%20of%20many%20more%20women%20–%20white%20women%20–%20who%20had%20%5Bfewer%5D%20clothes%20on%20than%20Nyome%20that%20never%20got%20reported%20or%20deleted.%20This%20was%20the%20first%20time%20it%20happened%20to%20me,%20and%20it%20kept%20happening%20because%20I%20kept%20reposting%20the%20pictures%20and%20they%20kept%20getting%20deleted,%20and%20you%20have%20to%20ask%20why.%20What%20is%20it%20about%20a%20plus-size%20Black%20woman’s%20body%20that%20is%20so%20offensive%20and%20so%20sexualised?%20The%20Playboy%20feed%20is%20filled%20with%20naked%20white%20models%20and%20it’s%20all%20for%20the%20male%20gaze,%20which%20is%20the%20opposite%20of%20what%20I%20do,%20and%20they’re%20allowed%20to%20stay.”%0A%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20View%20this%20post%20on%20Instagram%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20📢Today%20is%20the%20day%20Instagram%20and%20Facebook%20changes%20their%20policy%20to%20ensure%20all%20body%20types-%20namely%20black%20plus%20sized%20bodies-%20are%20treated%20fairly%20on%20the%20platforms.%20As%20of%20today,%20Wednesday%2028th%20October%202020,%20Instagram%20and%20Facebook%20will%20%22allow%20content%20where%20someone%20is%20simply%20hugging,%20cupping%20or%20holding%20their%20breasts%22.%20To%20protect%20the%20younger%20users%20from%20potential%20pornographic%20content%20if%20a%20picture%20shows%20%22breast%20squeezing%20in%20a%20grabbing%20motion%20or%20there%20is%20a%20clear%20change%20in%20the%20shape%20of%20the%20breasts%22,%20that%20content%20will%20be%20in%20breach%20of%20the%20rules.%20This%20policy%20change%20should%20allow%20them%20to%20better%20differentiate%20self%20expression/%20art%20from%20pornographic%20content.%20The%20policy%20change%20is%20effective%20from%20today%20and%20will%20begin%20to%20be%20enforced%20from%20today%20however%20the%20external%20wording%20in%20the%20policy%20will%20be%20available%20to%20read%20from%20the%2023rd%20November%20(I%20will%20pop%20the%20link%20in%20my%20bio%20so%20you%20can%20all%20have%20a%20read%20of%20it%20once%20live).%20Gina,%20Alex,%20and%20I%20are%20creating%20a%20typeform%20where%20you%20can%20upload%20info%20on%20any%20of%20your%20content%20that%20has%20been%20removed.%20This%20is%20in%20the%20interest%20of%20helping%20instagram%20ensure%20this%20policy%20is%20upheld%20and%20is%20as%20successful%20as%20it%20can%20be.%20The%20link%20will%20be%20available%20tomorrow%20to%20use%20in%20my%20bio%20(we%20are%20hoping%20it%20won’t%20be%20needed%20though).%20This%20is%20only%20the%20beginning,%20there%20is%20still%20much%20work%20to%20be%20done.%20Instagram%20and%20Facebook%20are%20taking%20steps%20in%20the%20right%20direction%20to%20ensure%20the%20plus%20sized%20community%20is%20protected,%20Instagram%20have%20said%20%22In%20addition%20to%20this%20policy%20change,%20earlier%20this%20year%20we%20committed%20to%20broader%20equity%20work%20to%20help%20ensure%20we%20better%20support%20the%20Black%20community%20on%20our%20platform.%20This%20work%20is%20going%20to%20take%20some%20time,%20but%20we’re%20going%20to%20continue%20to%20provide%20updates.%20Our%20goal%20is%20that%20this%20work%20will%20get%20us%20closer%20to%20making%20sure%20Instagram%20is%20a%20place%20where%20everyone%20feels%20safe,%20supported,%20and%20free%20to%20express%20themselves%22,%20I%20will%20continue%20to%20hold%20Instagram%20to%20account%20to%20ensure%20this%20happens..%20%20This%20is%20a%20huge%20victory%20for%20the%20black%20plus%20sized%20community%20and%20a%20great%20early%20birthday%20present!%20Thank%20you%20to%20every%20single%20one%20of%20you%20who%20reposted,%20or%20used%20the%20iwanttoseenyome%20hashtag;%20you%20helped%20amplify%20our%20voices%20and%20pushed%20our%20campaign%20forward.%20A%20post%20shared%20by%20%20Nyome%20Nicholas%20-%20Williams%20(@curvynyome)%20on%20Oct%2028,%202020%20at%206:44am%20PDT%20%0A%0AFollowing%20Nicholas-Williams%20and%20Cameron's%20open%20letter%20to%20the%20platform's%20head%20(written%20in%20conjunction%20with%20activist%20Gina%20Martin)%20and%20a%20groundswell%20of%20social%20media%20support,%20Instagram%20and%20its%20parent%20company%20Facebook%20have%20updated%20their%20policy%20on%20nudity%20in%20order%20to%20help%20end%20discrimination%20of%20plus-size%20Black%20women%20on%20its%20platforms%20and%20ensure%20all%20body%20types%20are%20treated%20fairly.%20The%20new%20policy%20came%20into%20effect%20last%20week.%0A%0A“This%20is%20a%20huge%20step%20and%20I%20am%20glad%20a%20dialogue%20has%20now%20been%20opened,”%20said%20Nicholas-Williams.%20“I%20want%20to%20ensure%20that%20I%20am%20respected%20and%20allowed%20to%20use%20spaces%20like%20Instagram,%20as%20many%20other%20creators%20do,%20without%20the%20worry%20of%20being%20censored%20and%20silenced.”){kind=link}
A few months ago, plus-size model and activist Nyome Nicholas-Williams spoke out about how Instagram was repeatedly taking down images from a “confidence shoot” she had posed for. Both she and the photographer, Alexandra Cameron, say they also received warnings that their accounts would be closed down. So they wrote a letter to Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, and eventually the platform responded by updating their nudity policy.
The photos in question showed Nicholas-Williams with her eyes closed and wrapping an arm around her breasts, which Instagram claims violated their pornography guidelines. Both Nicholas-Williams and Cameron allege that Instagram has a history of “allowing” nude photos of thin white women while censoring images of plus-size models and people of colour. According to the Guardian, “a wave of content creators then confirmed the platform was repeatedly discriminating against Black people, plus-size users and other marginalised communities, by deleting their photos or failing to promote them in the same way it did for its white users.”
In an interview with the Observer in August, Nicholas-Williams said: “Millions of pictures of very naked, skinny white women can be found on Instagram every day. But a fat Black woman celebrating her body is banned? It was shocking to me. I feel like I’m being silenced.”
A spokesperson from Instagram said to the Guardian that pictures of Nicholas-Williams were originally taken down as “we do not allow breast squeezing because it can be most commonly associated with pornography.”
Cameron, who has been a photographer for over a decade, said: “I have posted photos of many more women – white women – who had [fewer] clothes on than Nyome that never got reported or deleted. This was the first time it happened to me, and it kept happening because I kept reposting the pictures and they kept getting deleted, and you have to ask why. What is it about a plus-size Black woman’s body that is so offensive and so sexualised? The Playboy feed is filled with naked white models and it’s all for the male gaze, which is the opposite of what I do, and they’re allowed to stay.”
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Following Nicholas-Williams and Cameron’s open letter to the platform’s head (written in conjunction with activist Gina Martin) and a groundswell of social media support, Instagram and its parent company Facebook have updated their policy on nudity in order to help end discrimination of plus-size Black women on its platforms and ensure all body types are treated fairly. The new policy came into effect last week.
“This is a huge step and I am glad a dialogue has now been opened,” said Nicholas-Williams. “I want to ensure that I am respected and allowed to use spaces like Instagram, as many other creators do, without the worry of being censored and silenced.”