Grandma says state fair contest rejected breastfeeding photo for 'nudity'

A grandma is furious after a state fair rejected her breastfeeding photograph entry for a contest (Credit: Getty Images)
A grandma is furious after a state fair rejected her breastfeeding photograph entry for a contest (Credit: Getty Images)

A woman is furious after an Idaho state fair rejected a photo of her daughter-in-law breastfeeding her newborn from a photography contest, claiming that “nudity” is inappropriate.

Stacy Coleman entered three photos of her grandchildren into contests at the Western Idaho Fair, held in Boise, Idaho from Aug. 16 to 25. According to the Idaho Statesman, Coleman is a truck driver and asked a friend to submit her photos for her as she was on the road. She was “dismayed” by what followed.

The news outlet reported that the friend who submitted on Coleman’s behalf texted the grandmother to say that a staff member who was collecting entries told her, “I don’t think we can allow this one,” with regard to a photo of Coleman’s daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, breastfeeding. He consulted with other fair employees who agreed that they needed to be “cautious” about body parts.

However, Coleman didn’t think the photo should be categorized under “nudity.”

“It was the baby eating for the first time. You couldn’t see any nipple, and she wasn’t naked,” she told the Idaho Statesman . “I didn’t think anyone would be bothered by it. It wasn’t about the boob, it was about the baby.”

She added that it was obvious that the photo’s focus was the newborn.

“It seems obvious that it’s a newborn nursing right after birth,” Coleman said. “Nothing seems explicit.”

The state of Idaho has laws that allow women to breastfeed in any private or public location they’re legally about to be, and breastfeeding is also exempt from public indecency laws.

However, Western Idaho Fair spokeswoman Becki Woodbury confirmed to the Idaho Statesman that the photograph had still been rejected for nudity.

“Any photo that shows any nudity at all, no matter the subject, is rejected,” Woodbury told the Boise newspaper. “Appropriateness on nudity in photos can be subjective, therefore, the photography department takes a hard line on this rule.”

Coleman and Woodbury did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.