Lactivists and Where the Hell Was I?

It was recently brought to my attention by my brother (who was likely searching for illicit material on the internets - as boys of that age tend to do), that there are a lot of women up in arms over the right to breastfeed in public (which I support), but are also protesting the notion of being asked to cover up while doing it.


So. I did some digging, and other than an intercession with ABC in 2005, there was a bit on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher (of which I'm a great fan, by the way, of both the show and it's host), where in the "New Rules" segment, Bill goes out on the limb and says, "I never thought I'd say this but... New Rule: Don't show me your tit."

Which, other than it being a comedy skit to begin with, inspired this response from lactivist Erin Kotecki Vest, titled "Bill Maher Can Suck My Tits".

At this point, I'm saying to myself, "What the hell have I gotten myself into, now?"

But no really. This is serious. Alright, maybe not so serious but there's a point here.

I'd tried to leave a comment over at Ms. Vest's post back at the HP, but somehow their website hates me and doesn't want me to be the first poster on any topic. Or maybe the page is broken as there are no other comments there either.

In any case, and now that I've finally stopped laughing, haven't we taken the protest a bit too far?

I know I'm going to get some flak for this (or would have, if I had any readers), but I'm sort of with Bill on this one.

Before the lactivists decide to have a nurse-in at my front door (which would be decidedly not funny), no one is denying you the right to breastfeed your child whenever said child happens to need breastfeeding, in public or otherwise.

I should underline that, but I so hate reading those points made in huge caps underlined to make a point. I'm going to take the high road and assume that my readership (such as it is) can indeed both read and retain information for around a few minutes.

Now, having said that, lets drag this out into the light and ogle it a bit.

It's about freedoms, once again, the immortal rant about freedoms. And yet again, people assume that freedom means that we can do whatever we want. Which isn't the case. You're free so long as you don't infringe on other folks' freedoms, though it gets hairy at times to find the line as in this case.

So a hypothetical scenario. You're at your favorite restaurant with some friends, your family, or your significant other. The lady at the next table is having her meal entirely topless. (I just heard the teen male segment of the readership scream out a "Hell Yeah!").

Would you be comfortable in such a situation? I know I wouldn't, and most people I know wouldn't.

Stretch it further a notch. Suppose you're at a dinner somewhere and the couple at the table next to you are engaging in riotous, unrestrained acts of copulation right there while your grandmother keeps having to close her mouth so her dentures don't fall off.

Breastfeeding in the bare, in public, is a bit similar. Yes your child needs to be fed, but all the other people sharing that public space with you don't necessarily want to see your boobies.

It's unfair to compare the whole thing to people not being comfortable around gay couples and what not, which is what many lactivists do, when presented with the above argument. The difference is that the homophobia is driven by discrimination against a lifestyle, and a segment of people based on factors outside their control, such as their sexuality.

Breastfeeding, on the otherhand, isn't an issue that goes nearly as deep. Put it down simply, no one has a problem with you breastfeeding your child. Most would encourage it (including myself). The problem is that we just don't want to have to be exposed to your boobies.

So here's the question I'd put to lactivists. What exactly is the problem you have with covering up, so that people like me don't have to be exposed to your glorious mounds of womanhood, and you can feed your babies when they need to be fed?

You know, shawls were invented quite a long time ago.