I'm not posting the sub in question, for fear of inciting a witch hunt.

This sub is known for showcasing naked photos of normal people, without photoshop or camera tricks, in non sexual situations. Basically, a view from the bedroom mirror of your average person.

It promoted body positivity in a way that text can't, by showing you what anyone you walk past in the supermarket sees when they look at themselves naked in the mirror. For some, it showed that other people share their deepest insecurities. For others, it provided context through which they could finally see their own body as attractive, without having to compare themselves to pornography and high fashion.

This sub recently banned men from posting pictures unless they are "100% flaccid", a term which has boggled my mind since I first saw it typed out. The same rule does not apply to women, who can be as aroused as they like - and in fact some women do post pictures of their vulva before and after arousal.

I'm a straight male (and TBH even if I wasn't, there are better places to find dick pics). The reason I see this as a huge problem is because men have body issues as much as women do. We compare ourselves to people we see in public. We compare ourselves to the hyper-sexualized male trope from advertisements, movies, and magazines. Body positivity is not an issue that affects women alone.

Men get erections in non-sexual situations. I woke up with one this morning, and I wasn't aroused. Scientific studies have shown no correlation between what your unit looks like flaccid versus aroused. The arousal context is needed for men just as much as women. With a ban on aroused males, this unfairly positions a sub that has benefited so many people in the past, into being geared towards only women and perverts.

In the thread where they announced the rule change, dissenters were met with comments about their penis size, condescension, and insinuations about their masculinity. This was a subreddit that only allowed positive comments on image posts, and yet in a major post regarding a rule change they allow these comments from people who support the rule change. The mod who posted it was telling people who disagree with him that they were "in hysterics", or to "be a man".

This really rubbed me the wrong way, and I hope it serves to remind us all that the same resources women have to deal with body image and self esteem issues are not also afforded to men.