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B.C. theatre company’s poster censored by Facebook

The Okanagan theatre company had a poster unceremoniously removed from Facebook
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A poster promoting the local production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch was flagged and taken down by Facebook.

The poster advertising the Fred Skeleton Theatre Company’s show that was deemed to show “too much skin” depicted the play’s lead, Thomas Fournier wearing make up as his character Hedwig with his tongue sticking out.

After paying $400 for the ad to run for four weeks on Facebook, it was pulled within two weeks, Shannon Mason-Brown, co-director of the play says.

The play is about a rock singer that has a botched sex-change operation and her life as a transgender woman and her search for stardom and fame.

“What’s funny is I know it’s a cheeky expression, but I’m not sure why anyone was so offended,” Mason-Brown said. “I don’t know why they reported it and I never will… part of me thinks that this is a homophobia thing. But everyone should be allowed to love who they love, just seeing how many good people in the community are supporting us is amazing.”

The shows message is that humans are all looking for something to complete them and that it is necessary to accept ourselves for who we are.

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“If a person is offended by it, that’s OK, they don’t need to buy a ticket, just don’t come to the show,” she said. “We are trying to create a place where people can hear a story that is different and we bring the strange, weird and wonderful to the Okanagan. To grow as people and artists, (we need to) walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.

The Facebook policy for advertising says sexually suggestive content must not contain adult content; that includes nudity, depictions of people in explicit or suggestive positions or activities that are overly suggestive or sexually provocative.

Four of the photos shown as examples are of women: Artwork of a naked woman that covering her breasts and genitalia with her arms while folding into herself, a woman showing cleavage and bending over, a woman covered by a duvet and showing her legs and a woman eating a banana.

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The one photo of a man has his shirt unbuttoned and is holding it open while in his underwear with his face cut off, and one is a couple that appear to be engaging in sexual activity and a mans abs in his underwear.

The only photo deemed as compliant is a Greco Roman statue that shows full male nudity.

Mason-Brown is unsure if they will be reimbursed for the two weeks the ad did not run. The play will run at the Lake Country Creekside Theatre from Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20 tickets are available at kelownatickets.com

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@sydneyrmorton
sydney.morton@kelownacapnews.com

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