Instagram Banned Woman's Period Photo So She Fought Back And Won
Rupi Kaur just wanted to upload a photo essay to Instagram.
Instead, the Toronto-based poetess found herself in a full-on battle about menstruation.
As part of a final project for her "visual rhetoric class," Kaur and her sister, Prabh, created a photographic series called "Period."
The images show familiar objects: a hot water bottle for cramps and a crumbled pad about to be thrown in the trashcan, among others.
When Kaur uploaded an image of the period stain on her sheets to Instagram, however, the social media site stepped in.
She was told she violated Instagram's Community Guidelines, although there wasn't anything too questionable about the photo.
When Kaur reuploaded the image, it was taken down once more.
Kaur wrote,
I will not apologize for not feeding the ego and pride of a misogynist society that will have my body in an underwear but not be okay with a small leak... Your pages are filled with countless photos/accounts where women (so many of whom are underage) are objectified, pornified, and treated less than human. Thank you.
Angered by Instagram's apparent distaste for a natural, female bodily function, she rallied her followers for a response.
Kaur posted an image of her leaking period as part of a photo series she'd been working on.
'period.' was a photoseries project I did for my final course on visual rhetoric. ur responses.love.outrage. all so appreciated. — prose;titute (@rupikaur_) March 24, 2015
Instagram censored the image twice, although the photo doesn't show nudity or violence.
Kaur and her followers fought back, and soon, the photo returned to Instagram.
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She posted her thanks.
my heart swelled with joy when I woke to see you had brought my photos back. thank you. i love you all. — prose;titute (@rupikaur_) March 26, 2015
when they try and shut you down. my god speak louder. — prose;titute (@rupikaur_) March 26, 2015
Citations: Rupi Kaurs Period Photo On Instagram Sparks Change (Huffington Post )
