When professional photographer Tara Ruby uploaded a photo of a breastfeeding woman in a firefighter’s uniform, it immediately went viral, accumulating at least three thousand likes on Facebook.
A part of a photo series called “Uniformed Breastfeeding,” the photograph was even covered by several news outlet.
“This portrait was made to show the power of a working mother, for all mothers that might be in the firefighting career field,” she said. “I created this for that purpose and that purpose only.”
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Other photographs in the series include army women, police officers, nurses, and doctors.
The general consensus was positive, with many people saying it empowers women not only firefighters but working mothers everywhere.
Photo credit: Tara Ruby Photography
But now, according to reports, the husband of the woman in the photograph is facing fines and disciplinary actions for letting his wife wear his uniform.
“KFOX14 asked the Las Cruces Fire Department why the investigation began,” the reports said. “A department spokesperson said because this is a personnel matter, they cannot discuss any aspect of it.”
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“They’re not supporting the normalizing of breast-feeding…or supporting anyone coming in and breast-feeding in uniform,” Ruby said to KFOX. “It just seems like it’s a double standard.”
“If someone has an issue with a photo that I took or the meaning behind that photo, they should reach out and ask me. I don’t understand why this is happening.”
“This story is a powerful one and maybe it’s not one everybody’s ready to hear.”
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