Artist Comes Under Fire After Posting Gay Iwo Jima Picture

An artist has come under fire and has received death threats after posting a pro-gay version of the infamous Battle of Iwo Jima photo in the wake of the Supreme Court's landmark ruling, which legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

According to the Daily Mail, photographer Ed Freeman received thousands of negative comments on Facebook after posting the picture, which shows shirtless men holding up a rainbow flag in the same vein as the Pulitzer Prize 1945 World War II photo, taken by Joe Rosenthal.

Some of the commenters called the image "sickening," "disrespectful" and "a mockery." The Daily Mail notes Freeman ended up calling the F.B.I. after one person said they would kill him.

"It was a flat out death threat that he would kill me," he told the New York Daily News. "When 200 people tell you, excuse my language, tell you that you're a disgusting faggot and you should die slowly, painfully, it doesn't make you feel good."

Freeman created the photo-shopped image for the gay magazine Frontiers 15 years ago and said this is the first time anyone has complained about the picture.

"The image is a composition of several images from the Sierra Nevada mountains serving as a background to the four models, who are standing on rocks at Joshua Tree National Park," the Daily Mail writes. "He took the photograph in his Los Angeles studio with the men holding a PVC pipe before he meshed in a Pride flag in post-production."

Freeman posted the picture after the High Court's ruling.

"In no way am I saying the struggle for gay rights is the same degree of the struggle and sacrifice for Iwo Jima," he told the Daily Mail. "I mean, oh my God. That's not fair."

Here are a few of the negative comments Freeman has received:

"What a disgrace to all of my brothers and sisters that have fought for every American," one person wrote. "Especially those that fought and lost thousands of men taking Iwo Jima. Don't waste your obvious talents like this. Sincerely, A Veteran."

"You disgust me. Yes America is a free country to express yourself the way you please but you forgot one thing sir," another commented. "You only have that freedom because of the men like those at iwo jima who sacrifice their lives to protect our freedom."

"Your photo is a disgusting display and mocks the Iwo Jima flag raising I take no issue to gay rights I take issue with your choice in disgracing what the brave Marines and Sailors did on Iwo Jima," another added.