#FreeTheNipple’s Newest Strategy? Superimposed Man Nips

Photo: otheraudrey/Instagram

Despite the ongoing, celebrity-driven backlash against Instagram’s policy against allowing pictures that show female nipples (Chrissy Teigen, Miley Cyrus, and Chelsea Handler have all been big supporters), the photo sharing app has continued to remove all posts that do so. As it stands, the only boob pics Instagram allows are those depicting “post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding.”

But someone may have finally found a way to beat Insta at its own, nipple-profiling game.

Photo: Micol Hebron/Facebook

Back in 2014, a Los Angeles-based artist and self-described feminist named Micol Hebron created an image of a male nipple — a body part not included in the nudity ban — and posted it online with the following description: 

“Here you go — you can use this to make any photo of a topless woman acceptable for the Interwebs! Use this ‘acceptable (male) nipple template,’ duplicate, resize and paste as needed to cover the offending female nipples with socially acceptable male nipples (like a digital pasty). You’re welcome.”

Because the Internet is weird, it took about a year for Hebron’s concept and image to go viral. Recomposed by an unknown person, the image, below — along with a new, yet like-minded and equally sarcastic, set of instructions — wound up on Instagram and Facebook, and began inspiring women to #FreeTheNipple… just not their own nipple.

So far, it seems like Instagram hasn’t done anything about the cheekily doctored photos, which technically don’t break any rules. Maybe this will finally be the thing that makes the app’s conservative guideline-creators realize that inherently, there’s no real difference between male and female nips — and no reason why some should be considered more “sexual” or “inappropriate” than others.

I’m not implying that all women — or men — have or should have the desire to go topless or shirtless or whatever on social media. But should they have the right, should they so choose? Abso-f–king-lutely.

Photo: k0lka/Instagram

Photo: intedinsuperhjaelte/Instagram

Photo: @siribifaller/Instagram

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Free the Nipple: Fighting for Women’s Rights
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