The war against female-presenting nipples

Keep your breasts off the internet, please! This week the social networking site Tumblr announced it was banning adult content. Starting December 17, porn is not permitted on the platform. The adult content ban also extends to images of “real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples.”

The Tumblr policy appears to have been sparked by child pornography being found on the site. The company obviously needs to eradicate its pedophilia problem; however, it’s feared the all-out purification of the platform will result in unfortunate collateral damage. Tumblr has long been known as a permissive and safe space for harmless sexual subcultures.

Tumblr’s new policy is also the latest installment in a ridiculous war against women’s nipples. Women’s top halves have long been sexualized and policed in a way that men’s aren’t, both online and offline. Janet Jackson, let us never forget, was disgraced, and saw her career bottom out, when Justin Timberlake tore her top at the 2004 Superbowl half-time show, and revealed a bit of breast. More recently tennis player Alizé Cornet was penalized for briefly removing her shirt at the US open. While male tennis players are allowed to go topless, seeing a woman’s sports bra is apparently appalling.

Tumblr's adult content ban dismays some users: 'It was a safe space' Read more

The big social networks, which don’t seem very keen to do anything about the conspiracy theories and rightwing hate groups hijacking their platforms, have been very active in battling breasts. Instagram’s censorship of female breasts, for example, led to a campaign called #freethenipple. Facebook also exerts considerable energy in regulating women’s chests. Its community guidelines state that nipples are generally no bueno, unless they belong to women who are actively engaged in breastfeeding, or photos of post-mastectomy scarring.

Social networks are always going on about how they’re not evil data-mongers; they simply want to make the world a better place. Well, here’s some quick and easy advice for Tumblr et al: why not spend a little less time worrying about nipples, and a lot more time worrying about Nazis?

Ireland on its way to legalizing abortion

Earlier this year Ireland voted to repeal the country’s longstanding abortion ban. And, on Wednesday, Ireland’s lower house of parliament passed a bill allowing free and legal abortions. It is expected the bill will soon become law. While the bill is a big step forward, it contains a mandatory three-day waiting period after first consulting a doctor. Emer O’Toole, writing in the Guardian, argues that the “the three-day wait is a political concession that has no basis in best medical practice or clinical evidence. Its only purpose is to make access to care more difficult. And, as always, the most vulnerable will be the most affected.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest In May, Ireland voted in a referendum to overturn the abortion ban. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Fourth woman accuses Neil deGrasse Tyson

In 2010 Tchiya Amet publicly accused the famous astrophysicist of sexual misconduct. She was largely ignored. As #MeToo took off other women levelled allegations against Tyson. This week a fourth accuser came forward, sharing her story with BuzzFeed news.

Sheroes of the week: Carolyn Kenyon and Judith Jones

Two New York women have erased $1.5m in medical debt for hundreds of people. Kenyon, 70, and Jones, 80, raised $12,500 and sent it to a debt-forgiveness charity, which then purchased (and forgave) a portfolio of debt worth $1.5m. The New York Times has the brilliant story here.

Alarming confusion about consent

A third of people in the UK don’t think it’s rape if a woman is pressured into having sex but there isn’t any physical violence, according to a new survey by the End Violence Against Women Coalition. And one in 10 people weren’t sure or didn’t think it was rape to have sex with a woman who was very drunk or asleep. Clearly more education about consent is required.

Hannah Gadsby does it again

The Australian comedian, famous for the Netflix sensation Nannette, went viral for her speech at this week’s Hollywood Reporter’s 2018 Women in Entertainment gala. Gadsby criticized the “incredibly irritating” phenomenon of “good men talking about bad men” and redrawing the line of acceptable behavior to suit themselves.

Ivanka Trump makes Forbes’s Most Powerful Women list

Forbes has listed Ivanka Trump as number 24 on its annual World’s Most Powerful Women list. This, Forbes explains, is because “Ivanka Trump is … taking on a role in the White House that is unprecedented for first daughters.” Can someone please tell them that the word they’re looking for is not ‘unprecedented’ but ‘nepotistic’? Anyway, in other news, Melania is not on the list. She appears to be missing.