Miss Gay IU 1998

I recently visited Bloomington, IN and happened to pick up a copy of the Indiana University newspaper, the Indiana Daily Student. On the front page was a story about a drag-show. The story checks out, but the picture above it posed and interesting, and most likely infrequent, ethical question. The picture is of Miss Gay IU 1998, Brandie Ice, who is quoted in the story as saying "I don't pass as a boy anymore" (Ice apparently underwent a sex change, or so the reader assumes). Ice is wearing a bra in the picture with two Zip-lock bags filled with Chocolate Kisses serving as the cups. These Zip-lock, Chocolate Kiss cups, however, don't keep everything in and the nipple of Ice's right boob is visible. When I saw this I asked my self 'Did the editors miss this?' I didn't think they could have. The only ethical reason for printing the photo I can think of is that, since Ice is really a man and the boobs are fake, the editors equated running the photo with a photo of a bare-chested male.

I'll keep bringing my copy of the paper to class so everyone can see for themselves, plus I'd be interested in what the rest of the class thinks and how they would have run the picture.