Wait, what?! A nursing picture is "inappropriate"?

If that's what they're referring to, I know a lot of LJ mamas that are going to be switching their default icons to nursing pics in protest.

WHAT? That is crazy, and offensive to ME that they can do that.

Is the icon you are currently using your former default icon?

We should get a petition/email thing going on to send to them.

WTF? Have they told you exactly why it is inappropriate?

um, according to the lj faq content restrictions, there is no reason you have to delete your icon, as it is not sexual or violent . . .

you might want to remind them of their own rules!

Have you written them back? Asked them exactly what's wrong with the icon? I'm betting this was done by one ill trained person and once you talk to them they'll back down really quickly.

If not... we shall mobilize!

I'm fully prepared to switch my defult icon in protest.

What assholes.

huh, what?!

i have seen just completely and horribly disgusting icons on livejournal in my time...and your icon is nowhere near it! grr. what's up free speech?! i think we should do a icon solidarity thing!

oh no. they have no idea who they are messing with.

I'll *make* a nursing icon for my LJ if this isn't resolved quickly.

And all the naked pics and penises and people having sex icons ARE appropriate? I think we all need to email the Abuse Team and let them know they shouldn't brain while they have the dumb.

I will get my nursing icon ready for the defaulting too!

*primps titties*

Since they use a court ruling to define indecency and legally they'd be required to abide by the laws of the state where LJ is located (California) and also by the federal laws, perhaps they'd be interested to note these laws:

California: Cal. Civ. Code §43.3
1997 Cal ALS 59; 1997 Cal AB 157; Stats 1997 ch 59

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a mother may breastfeed her child in any location, public or private, except the private home or residence of another, where the mother and child are authorized to be present.

In other words, breastfeeding in public isn't subject to indecency laws, and that means it isn't indecent. If it's not considered offensive to have pictures of you and your child in your journal, then a picture of you breastfeeding said child is also acceptable. Federal law also protects women during breastfeeding.

Federal law and California law both state that nursing is exempt from indecency laws, and LJ should abide by their laws.

Oh that is sooo bogus.

:gets camera ready:

Is there somewhere we can email them about it?

And it probably wouldn't hurt, if it comes down to it, to make it clear to them that breastfeeding issues tend to make lovely newsbites and I can just see the headline now: "Blogging Site Censors Breastfeeding Mother". When a breastfeeding woman gets refused service at a restaurant in real life it makes nationwide news, and online controversy is always more exciting (to the media) than real life.

Can you recommend a good bf freindly picture for an icon. I have no current boobie monster and would have to look for pictures...but am more than willing to change my default icon for solidarity *grin*

Did some doofus that doesn't e-like you complain or something? WTF?

Oh they really have no idea the legal ramifications, do they.

If they don't respond to you call the media, call anyone who will listen. They can't censor your breastfeeding icons if they don't censor icons with violence/abortion pics/feces/etc.

Ohhh, let me get my camera ready! I say we flood them with emails and breastfeeding pictures!

I have a feeling this all started with my friend hardvice who got in trouble for having a default icon of a painting of a naked Bea Arthur. He kind of prodded people to report breastfeeding icons in protest of his tastfully nude art icon. Not that I am saying I agree I am just saying I think that is where it came from.

In response to my email, they had this to say

ear LiveJournal user,

Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately, for confidentiality and privacy reasons, we are unable to accept complaints from anyone other than the individual(s) directly involved in the situation.

Having said that, LiveJournal's rules for default user pictures are stricter than those for non-default user pictures, as the default user picture is viewable in a much wider range of situations, including ones where a user may not be expecting nudity or other possibly inappropriate content. These rules exist for the sole purpose of ensuring that users can browse the "public" parts of the site (for example, the directory) without worrying about encountering "not-safe-for-work/public" situations. For this reason, LiveJournal's rules regarding default user pictures are generally restrictive than is strictly defined by obscenity laws.

LiveJournal does not restrict non-default user pictures in any way, beyond those that are illegal or which otherwise violate the Terms of Service. The usual remedy for this situation is to simply switch the default user picture to non-default -- that is, to select a new default, or have no default user picture at all.

Regards,
Douglas
LiveJournal Abuse Team

I said:

"But that is the issue here, and you missed the point entirely. Here, I will put it in caps so you understand:

BREASTFEEDING IS NOT AN OBSENE ACT AND BREASTFEEDING IN PUBLIC IS PROTECTED BY LAW. "

too fucked up. keep us posted.

I just got this crap from them. Ugh.

Dear LiveJournal User,

LiveJournal is well within legal bounds to restrict the use of images
of the act of breastfeeding to non-default icons, and has opted to do so
in consideration of users who may be viewing LiveJournal from a
location where a display of such an image is inappropriate. We will thus be
unable to assist you further with this matter.

One thing that is really illogical about all of this is that it's ONLY default icons. So it would be okay if I went and manually set every post/comment I wrote to a nursing icon? So long as it's not marked as my 'default'? That's just dumb.