CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
Although she refuses to admit it, local mum Annette Sawyer has needed help updating her Facebook profile for over three months now.
In a moment of hysterical emotion in June 2015, Ms Sawyer joined the masses on social media and decided to show her support for marriage equality by altering her Facebook profile image to include a Gay Pride filter.
Facebook’s “Celebrate Pride” tool was announced by co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is now considered a fundamental constitutional right guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.
Social media users around the world were able to change their profile pictures to include the rainbow colours in support of the historic moment and signify their wishes to no longer live in a world where the law of the land is based on discrimination.
However, nearly four months after the laws were finally changed in Australia, Mum is just waiting until one her kids has the time to help her change it back.
“I have absolutely no idea how to do it,” says the 58-year-old retired hairdresser.
“One day it just popped up and all I had to do was press a button… But it didn’t leave any instructions on how to remove it,”
“It’s just sat that way since June. I asked the plumber but he didn’t know what to do either.”
Mrs Sawyer says it was for this reason that she opted to not change her profile picture following the Paris Bataclan Theatre Shootings in November 2016.
“I mean I didn’t join this bloody thing to continually keep showing my support for different causes around the world,”
“I use it to keep in touch with my grandchildren and leaving grammatically indecipherable comments on their formal photos”
With all options exhausted, Mrs Sawyer says she might have to do the unthinkable, and ask her youngest son for instructions over the phone.
“He thinks I’m a Luddite and will probably patronise me. Fair enough though, it has been nearly three years of my face being covered in a rainbow pattern,”
“Jeez this Facebook thing is meant to make life easier. I’m flat out trying to maintain the bloody thing.”
