Facebook under fire for removing lesbian kiss posted online to mark anti-homophobia day

The photo of two women kissing was posted on Facebook on Saturday

Carlotta Trevisan, is a 28-year-old mother of one from Italy

Facebook told her to take photo down - she refused so profile was deleted



Facebook is under fire for removing a lesbian kiss posted online to mark International Day Against Homophobia And Transphobia.

The photo of two women kissing was posted on Facebook on Saturday by Carlotta Trevisan, a 28-year-old mother of one from Italy.



But she says the image provoked a strong reaction from a few of her Facebook followers.

While many were supportive, one called the image 'disgusting,' while another wrote: 'Take it down, I have young children to protect.'



Facebook is under fire for removing a lesbian kiss posted online to mark anti-homophobia day

She received a message from Facebook late on Saturday afternoon saying it had been made aware of the image, which 'violated the community's standards on nudity and pornography'.

She was then asked to remove it.

Ms Trevisan said she was incensed by the request - she says that when she sees 'people of the same gender kissing, I only see love, nothing else. It doesn’t bother me.'

'What was the harm with this photo, especially when so many like this can be found on Google?' she said, reported website The Local.

'How can one photo provoke such sensitivity?'

Ivan Rakitic and Sevilla team-mate Daniel Carrico exchange a kiss in Turin. Earlier last week Ms Trevisan also posted this photo on Facebook

But Ms Trevisan, who is not gay, did not remove it and her profile was taken off the site that evening.

She is refusing to open a new account and is campaigning for the social network to reopen her profile.



Ms Trevisan also emailed the photo to friends, who re-posted it on their pages to show their support.



Earlier last week Ms Trevisan also posted a photo of two footballers from the Spanish club Sevilla, who shared a kiss during celebrations to mark their club's victory in the Europa League final.

The picture of the two, Ivan Rakitic and Daniel Carrico - who are not gay - was widely shared on social media after featuring on news websites and broadcasts around the world.

