Topless Ashley Judd Photo Center of Dispute

A topless photo of Ashley Judd is being used against the actress in a poster mocking her comments last month decrying mountaintop coal mining as the “rape of Appalachia.”

“Ashley Judd makes a living removing her top, why can’t coal miners?” blares the 5-by-3-foot poster, which was displayed at a golf tournament in the eastern Kentucky town of Prestonburg on Wednesday. Beside the bold letters is an image, taken from a 2003 Marie Claire magazine article, showing Judd glaring at the camera with her arms folded across her bare chest.

Topless Ashley Judd Photo Center of Dispute

During a speech last month at the National Press Club, Judd spoke out against mountaintop coal mining, a process of blasting the tops off of mountains to extract coal.

“It is time to retire the cynical and superficial coal company-created argument that we must choose between people, their jobs and our mountains,” she said. “That is simply false, fear-based and fear-mongering.”

Judd, who grew up in eastern Kentucky and proudly calls herself a “hillbilly,” also singled out the creation of golf courses at former mining sites. “I’m not too keen on reinforcing stereotypes about my people, but I don’t know a lot of hillbillies who golf,” Judd said in the June 9 speech.

Those comments angered individuals associated with the mining industry and the golf courses built on former mine sites, like the StoneCrest Golf Club, where the sign was found.

“She’s not an eastern Kentuckian. A real eastern Kentuckian never would have degraded the people here by saying hillbillies don’t play golf,” David Gooch, president of the Coal Operator’s Association, told local TV station WKYT.

Gooch went on to question Judd’s credibility as a Hollywood actress due to the adult themes of some of her films.

“Coming from a woman who makes movies most people wouldn’t take their children to, I really don’t think she has a lot to say about our industry or anything else that’s worthwhile,” he said.

According to the NSFW website Mr. Skin, which tracks and catalogues the nudity found in mainstream movies, Judd has appeared at least partially naked in four films, beginning with 1996′s ‘Normal Life,’ co-starring Luke Perry. In ‘Bug,’ released in 2006, the actress used a nude body double. However, she appears completely in the buff in the 1996 Marilyn Monroe biopic ‘Norma Jean and Marilyn.’

The locals may not enjoy Judd’s films, but they sure liked the sign.

“All the people that was here yesterday, they was all for it,” said Paul Hughes, assistant general manager of the StoneCrest Golf Club.

Course officials still don’t know who put the sign up, but promised to take it down on Thursday.