Facebook Apologizes For Censoring Gay Kiss Photo

Two men kissing: too risque for Facebook?

The social network recently removed a picture of a gay kiss for allegedly violating its terms of use, which state, "You will not post content that: is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence."

The photo in question (see it here) accompanied a Facebook page calling for a "kiss-in" protest for an incident at a pub, where a gay couple was ousted for kissing (the landlady deemed the act "obscene").

Facebook has since re-instated the page, and apologized for the error in a statement.

"The photo in question does not violate our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and was removed in error," the statement read.

The removed picture, a promo pic from the soap opera Eastenders, contained no nudity or graphic sexuality, but the event has sparked outrage from users wondering why a photo of two fully clothed men engaging in a kiss would be flagged. Already, Facebook pages have been set up where users have flooded the feed with more pictures of same-sex kisses. A gay kiss-in to protest the act has also been organized.

Especially curious is the fact that Facebook does not remove every picture flagged as inappropriate. According to them, a "Facebook administrator looks into each report thoroughly in order to decide the appropriate course of action. If no violation of our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities has occurred, then no action will be taken," suggesting that a person, not a program, may have removed the picture.

"Facebook has said that it was a mistake to remove the picture," reads a post from the event protesting the removal. "Mistake or malicious, it shouldn't have happened. Many people have been affected."

Facebook also ran into trouble when they recently removed a photo of the 1866 painting "The Origin of the World" by Gustave Courbet, which is a representation of female genitalia, and deleted the user's account. The man is now suing the site for causing him to miss messages on the eve of his birthday. Facebook previously removed the same painting, and deactivated the accounts, of two other users: a Danish artist whose profile was reinstated on the condition that he post no more nudes, and a French writer who changed his profile picture to the painting in support.

Comments

[stephhm]

02:43 PM on 05/12/2011

Facebook just did this AGAIN with a photo of women touching tongues in a film ad. HILARIOUS article about it: http://www.ReadersDigested.com

[Timm Wheeler]

08:52 AM on 05/09/2011

Facebook is back to this and over a much more innnocent photo...
See my FB Page at www.facebook.com/DallasPCDoctor or see the notice via the link, what do you think of this still happening ?

See their notice with the WRONGLY Banned photo of two men asleep in each other's arms.. Love should not be treated with such disrespect..

Link to photo: www.tinyurl.com/timmland

[Ben Groff]

08:21 AM on 04/24/2011

What the world needs now is love sweet love...that is one thing that there is just too little of!

[juno underwood]

04:00 AM on 04/24/2011

Facebook is homophobic, I see.

[MJR35]

04:00 AM on 04/24/2011

Definitely not obscene. I actually think the kiss is very sweet.

[MJR35]

03:58 AM on 04/24/2011

I do not see anything anything obscene about this kiss. As a matter of fact I would call it the opposite of obscene and actually very sweet.

[Chris Fort]

09:28 PM on 04/23/2011

Sad how two men kissing or holding hands is more offensive to people than two men holding guns.

[ScooterBob]

09:44 AM on 04/23/2011

What weak constitutions that some of have, if the sight of two men showing unabashed affection for each other! I would warn you away from Europe in that case, where, gasp, men often kiss in greeting (gracious...even straight me)! Both men and women walk openly hand in hand...no doubt causing the god of your faith great heartache and sorrow. However, I choose to believe that god instead is pleased to see his creation experiencing love and celebrates the connection that two people can have...regardless of who they love.

[MentalLapse]

01:07 AM on 04/23/2011

I don't mind people marrying whatever they wish whether it be an object or a person of the sex same.

However, I have to say i was somewhat disturbed by this picture..... I guess gays are the new ugly people.

[redsoxpagan]

06:44 PM on 04/23/2011

Your moniker says it all

[luckynewman13]

04:01 AM on 04/24/2011

please get neutered

[wonderYrednow]

07:16 PM on 04/29/2011

Before it gets 'lucky'.

[ViewLiveSports1]

01:40 PM on 04/21/2011

See the pics at http://www.mobidhoom.com

[Jeff Lassiter]

09:57 AM on 04/21/2011

I work for a major retailer and am gay. On a daily basis I have to watch straight couples come into my work, holding hands, kissing, and in general, be loving towards one another. This does not bother me, mostly because I know and accept people are all different. What gets me is that while, I , as a gay person, have to accept this, if I were to do what some of these people do I would be ridiculed or get stares and recriminations. This kind of censorship by Facebook shows that some people can't see past the sex act they imagine two gay people engage in, which says more about that person. If we were more open as a society about sexuality in general, this would be less of an issue. And no, I am not advocating porn in schools, which, based on some of the backwards comments you see here, some would say I was.

[jane bond]

01:18 AM on 04/22/2011

"as a gay person I have to accept this"

will you please think about basic biology, a man and a woman were created for each other our parts fit in proper places...men and women love and desire one another that is in harmony with nature...I don't care how many animals are so-called homosexuals insects ETC. "my dog humps my leg." now with that said because of basic biology it is instinctively unnatural to see 2 males or 2 females doing sexual things, stop pretending that this isn't the issue and that we "the masses" are all just bigots...

[TBJ]

09:06 AM on 04/22/2011

You're using "unnatural" instead of "uncommon". People keep being gay, keep being attracted to members of the same gender, so that means it's friggin' natural.

What you find offensive is not universally offensive. If you don't like two guys being in love and all that jazz, that's fine. I wouldn't recommend getting so hot and bothered by it, but that's up to you.

Just don't infringe on the rights of others because you find who they are to be gross.

[Erin Groom]

02:47 PM on 04/22/2011

I don't feel homophobia is bigotry, it's more "busybodiness", which is a horrible disease that afflicts a very large portion of the population who refuse to get their god damned noses out of other people's business.

PS. Computers are unnatural. Think about that next time you turn yours on. And then don't.

[Tommy Gaerlan]

11:28 AM on 04/23/2011

Well said, Jeff.

[Priestesss]

09:52 PM on 04/20/2011

*Sarcastic Tone* Oh No!! Its the end of the world two guys are kissing. *Rolls eyes* Seriously? Get real and get a life. Honestly what two people do is NOT anyone else's business but theirs. This boo hoo'ing and making negative comments about two men kissing is beyond ridiculous. If you don't like it, DON'T LOOK! No one is forcing you to. Two guys, two girls. Its natural plan and simple and if you disagree go for, but don't think you actually have a right to push your opinions on others or anywhere else. Its ONLY your opinion and that's it.

[NYCBruce]

07:26 PM on 04/20/2011

Facebook needs to find out which one of their "reviewers" removed this pic, and dump them! There is NO place on the Internet for someone in a position like this to impose their own limited personal idiosyncracies on the evaluation of someone ELSE'S ability to present THEIR personal feelings in an open discussion format. How would these folks feel if someone decided to remove all references to God, Christianity, or depictions of the cross, etc. You'd hear them screaming in Antartica! NO MORE BIGOTS!!!

[Jerry Diaz]

06:44 PM on 04/20/2011

oh who cares?

[Biochemist she]

08:19 PM on 04/20/2011

Who says? For you all know they could children from a previous marriage. Perhaps they're bisexual, or better yet, perhaps they used a surrogate.

Being gay =/= being infertile.

And before you start whining about how "unnatural" surrogacy is, tell that to all the str8 couples who've taken advantage of advances in reproductive medicine.