in brief: magazine cover featuring a breastfeeding mum is banned from newsstands

American parenting magazine Hip Mama has released their latest print issue with an image of a woman breastfeeding a child, resulting in newsstands banning the cover due to its apparently explicit nature.

The issue, which is to be released on Mother’s Day this May, features Barcelona-based artist Ana Alvarez-Erreclade breastfeeding her four-year-old child whilst wearing a Spiderman mask.

The controversy began after editor Ariel Gore posted the cover on the magazine’s Facebook page, and was received well by social media users. Magazine venders, however, shortly became aware of the image and deemed it inappropriate to be sold on their newsstands. Concern was also raised over the age of the child, who, at four, was considered too old to still be breastfed.

Faced with suppression from retailers, a choice was then made by editors to release a ‘censored’ version of the cover, which includes a big red circle reading ‘no supermoms here’ placed over the subject’s bare breasts.

The model, Alvarez-Erreclade, responded to the controversy, stating that ‘violence towards women begins with the repression of sexuality, the appropriation of childbirth, the interference with all vital cycles and the creation of manipulative roles.’

Hip Mama is standing by their controversial cover, still making the uncensored edition of the alternative magazine available to order online.

What do you think of Hip Mama’s cover shoot, Lipsters? 
All natural or too controversial?
Share your views in the comments!