7 Portraits of Greek Adonises Banned by Instagram

Does Instagram have a hair trigger with male images when it comes to censorship and applying a fair standard?

This story, which comes to us from our friends at the Greeks Come True site (calendars, movies, various delights), is becoming a more common one. The photos they post are not necessarily gay, but they are male nudes -- nudes that would seem to fit within Instagram's standards.

From our friends at Greeks Come True:

Our account, @GreeksComeTrue, was wrongfully disabled by Instagram and despite our many appeals through the platform and via email, for almost two months now; we have not been able to even get a single non-automated response as to why this issue persists.

We have put together an open letter to Instagram where we explain a few things about the nature of our project, the importance it holds within the communities of arts and sports, while we also expand on the ongoing prejudice against content creators who dare to encourage the admiration of a male's physique, even within community guidelines.

You can find our open letter attached as a PDF together with a selection of pictures from our suspended Instagram. Hopefully with your help we can get our account back and keep fighting for what's rightfully ours -- acceptance.

An Open Letter to Instagram by Greeks Come True

"Our account, @GreeksComeTrue, was wrongfully disabled by Instagram and despite our many appeals through the platform and via email, for almost two months now; we have not been able to even get a single non-automated response as to why this issue persists."

An Open Letter to Instagram by Greeks Come True (cont.)

"Ever since 2016, when the shootings for the very first Greeks Come True Calendar began, we have always strived to promote a healthy, archetypal image of male beauty, one that echoes our cultural heritage as Greeks while in addition challenges the norms imposed by mainstream media. Instead of models, we chose to feature real 'next door' men and professional athletes from all over Greece, with little to no experience in front of the lens, just so we could capture their most authentic and intimate side, their true essence, raw and uncensored. That kind of honesty cannot be overlooked and it wasn't long before international press took notice. The support we have received during these past couple of years, through countless features, mentions and interviews, together with the all the love from our amazing fans, has made breaking all the horrible taboos and misconceptions regarding the nude male form a very important mission to us all."

An Open Letter to Instagram by Greeks Come True (cont.)

"Using social media as a stepping stone towards that goal; we took into very serious consideration each platform's terms of service and only made carefully planned posts that abided with the general content guidelines to ensure that no boundaries were ever crossed. Despite taking all necessary precautions, there were times when posts got deleted as Instagram deemed them to be (too suggestive?), even when there was no actual nudity involved; some pubic hair sticking out on top of a white towel neatly tied around someone's waist, was all it would take some days. And while the disparity between the frequency of male and female nudity on Instagram has women taking the lead by far, the admiration of male physique is still considered to be in some terms unacceptable and judging from all current facts even threatening to content creators who dare to encourage it."

An Open Letter to Instagram by Greeks Come True (cont.)

"For the ancient Greeks, including the great historian Herotodus, nudity was seen as the costume of the citizen, the athlete, the male hero, even the Gods as they were believed to have human form. To stand up and fight and be exposed, body and soul, was taken nothing but granted for every man who wanted to achieve immortality. That is the ethos and sporting ideals that fuel our project Greeks Come True and we won't stop claiming what's rightfully ours -- acceptance.

"We ask for your help to make Instagram finally listen and give us back our account so we can keep Greeks Come True alive and running. Thank you for your support!"

7 Portraits of Greek Adonises Banned by Instagram