Mum sparks debate after posting pic of son, 5, dressed as female character

London, Nov 06 (ANI): A woman has sparked a child welfare debate after she posted a picture of her five-year-old son dressed as Daphne from Scooby Doo on the Internet.

The debate, on the ethics of parents posting pictures of their own children on the Internet, started after the woman, 35, who calls herself Cop's Wife on her forum Nerdy Apple Bottom, defended her actions on her blog.

"IT IS NOT OK TO BULLY. Even if you wrap it up in a bow and call it 'concern'. Those women were trying to bully me. And my son," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

"If you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for Halloween is somehow going to 'make' him gay then you are an idiot.

"Firstly, what a ridiculous concept. Secondly, if my son is gay, OK. I will love him no less. Thirdly, I am not worried that your son will grow up to be an actual ninja so back off," she added.

Since posting the rant her intended message of tolerance has gone viral around the Internet and flooded her small blog site with messages of support.

But others have criticised it saying that the picture will come back to haunt her son someday, especially since she has posted it online.

Child welfare group Kidscape, whilst supporting the child's right to wear whatever he likes and grow up along any line of orientation he so chooses, said it set a "troubling and disturbing" precedent.

"I think the parent needs to wake up and remove the image straight away," Claude Knights, director of Kidscape, stated.

"A child dressing in a costume like that doesn't worry me at all, children have to be free to explore, but what does worry me is that there seems to be an adult agenda here. And that's troubling and disturbing," he added. (ANI)