Proposed WI Law Related to Public Breast Feeding

[Aristotle]

I am asking in advance that everyone be respectful of other people's opinions and not hold grudges against anyone. I have a feeling this might be a contentious issue.

Harassing Breast-Feeding Mothers Could Lead To Fines

Asking a breast-feeding mother to cover-up could soon cost people in Wisconsin $200.

A proposed bill by state Sen. Fred Risser would protect mothers who breast-feed in public from being harassed.

Under Wisconsin law it is perfectly legal for a woman to breast-feed her child in a public place.

...

Michelle Morgan said she has run into problems trying to breast-feed her son, Ian, in public.

"A woman basically said to me that I should probably go somewhere else or make sure that I stayed covered up," said Morgan. "It made me pretty angry."

...

It reinforces current law by slapping future harassers with a $200 fine.

"It is necessary to make clear to those few places in the state that do not accept the law or permit it, that this is the policy of the state of Wisconsin," said Risser.

It's a law Morgan says will give her a little extra firepower if she's asked to cover up again.

"I have the right and the protection to say that I'm legally able to be in this space, and that I'm legally able to nurse my child and you can't tell me otherwise," said Morgan.

I think breast feeding in public is fine.

I think people who do it should make an effort to be discreet. If it just is not possible to be discreet for some rational reason, then people can pretty easily avert their eyes.

I think fining someone for ASKING a woman to be more discreet when she is breast feeding is crazy.

This issue is somewhat related to the other one about civility and hypersensitivity.

Women who are breastfeeding should try to be respectful of others and try to be discreet about it. At the same time, just because someone happens to see a boob while someone is trying to breastfeed should not be cause for a spaz out.

I love the bias inherent in the article. They immediately label it harassment even if it is just "asking" the mother to cover up. That is rich. You gotta love the media.

[Aristotle]

I haven't been able to confirm this explicitly, but apparently there are some stricter aspects to this particular law as well:

A proposed bill by state Sen. Fred Risser would protect mothers who breast-feed in public from being harassed, leered, photographed, even standing too close for more than 10 seconds as to catch a glimpse.

Apparently the article on that web site has been revised a few times after it was first published. That is pretty suspicious.

Another apparent part of the original article:

Michelle Moran said she has run into problems trying to breast-feed her son, Ian, in public. "A woman basically said to me that I should probably go somewhere else or make sure that I stayed covered up," said Morgan. "It made me pretty angry." "I mean," she continued, "I might want to breast feed and get some sun at the same time - what's wrong with that?"

It looks to me like the bias of the site is even greater than I thought. It looks like they removed some of the language from the original article that weakened the pro-breast feeding point.

I think a lot of people would find "standing too close for more than 10 seconds" to be a little crazy of a thing to be fined for. I also think a lot of people would think this Moran lady saying she might want to get some sun while breastfeeding is extremely self centered. So they removed that part to make the article sound better.

It doesn't change my opinion on the issue generally, but it does seem like this specific law goes a bit too far.

[Lokrian]

Your view pretty much sums up mine on the issue. The interesting thing about this though is that there is no state's rights aspect. It is the state doing this, and what little authority smaller governmental entities have ever had in legislating for local values have been severely limited over the last several decades.

I don't know what the breakdown in public opinion is on this, but it would not surprise me at all to find most of the citizens of Wisconsin disagreeing with this law as well. What the public actually wants is the last thing a lawmaker can afford to think of since the public doesn't pay the campaign costs. Or at least the only lawmakers that can get elected.

[Gadiantor]

Having had four kids and all of them being breastfed I fully support anything that protects mother's. I always worry about my wife being descreet enough because she is a bit more free with her boobs than I'd like at times, but since that has stopped since she's no longer breatfeeding I guess I shouldn't worry...

[Thalia]

My first child was born in Europe. No one cared if you whipped a breast out in public, but there were family rooms available that were clean and comfortable and quiet. It seemed to be considered a natural process and no big deal by most.

My second child was born in the US. They've started making family rooms in malls and rest areas but they are very much restrooms and not always all that clean. Some Americans do seem to equate breastfeeding with something freakish that should be done behind closed doors.

I did try to avoid feeding my kid in public, but sometimes it had to be done. I did try to be discreet, but there were a few times other women suggested I go to the restroom. Yeah, like I really want to feed my kid in a dirty public bathroom.

I don't have a small chest. I was very self-conscious of this while breastfeeding. I did not want my melons oggled in the mall. I doubt I could have been more discreet. I seriously doubt anyone other than my kid ever saw any skin, yet I was still asked a few times.

I think people who ask a woman to cover up are incredibly rude, but I think fining them is just assinine. Also, my youngest is nearly 13, but I found the LLL (Le Leche League - breastfeeding support team) to be a little too pro "whipping it out in public" for my tastes. To me, they seemed to do more harm than good in promoting public awareness. Again, this was 12 years ago, so things may have changed.

[Graeblyn]

Legislators seem to think they can provide the solution for every problem. Not every issue can be resolved by passing a new law.

People don't have a right to be unoffended. If a woman whips out a breast and nurses her baby right in front of you, grow up and get over it. If an uncivil person comes over and says something rude about your breastfeeding, act like a grown woman, and don't go sobbing to "big brother" about how your "wittle bitty feelings" were hurt.

[Lokrian]

Originally posted by Gadiantor
Having had four kids and all of them being breastfed I fully support anything that protects mother's. I always worry about my wife being descreet enough because she is a bit more free with her boobs than I'd like at times, but since that has stopped since she's no longer breatfeeding I guess I shouldn't worry...

hehe

There used to be a saying, "let's not make a federal case out of this," that meant something along those lines. Get over it, whatever. Problem is, now since everything is a Federal case, no one says that anymore...

[Aristotle]

Originally posted by Thalia
I did try to avoid feeding my kid in public, but sometimes it had to be done. I did try to be discreet, but there were a few times other women suggested I go to the restroom. Yeah, like I really want to feed my kid in a dirty public bathroom.

Personally, I find it outrageous to ever expect a woman to breastfeed in a restroom. That is a totally unacceptable expectation. Reasonable efforts include things like: taking a table in the corner of the restaurant, wearing one of those easy-access breastfeeding blouses that make it easy to breastfeed discretely, throwing a small blanket over your shoulder, trying to use the baby to cover up most of the boob, etc.

With that said, if none of the above are possible (some kids don't want a blanket on them while feeding, some people cannot afford those special blouses or sometimes just didn't happen to wear one, sometimes there are no discrete tables available, some women's boobs are too big to easily cover, etc.) then people can just DEAL WITH IT. It is just a boob. It is not something horrible. Frankly, there are plenty of people walking around with disgusting piercings and tattoos that are a lot more offensive.

Originally posted by Graeblyn
Legislators seem to think they can provide the solution for every problem. Not every issue can be resolved by passing a new law.

No kidding. This is basically legislators trying to legislate people being nice to each other. That is just impossible and is not the proper role of law.

I think there is a very serious contradiction in logic regarding this proposed law:

One of the core elements of the belief that public breastfeeding is acceptable is that it is NOT a sexual, indecent, or private act. I agree with this statement.

But saying you cannot look at someone who is breastfeeding or stand near them is treating it like it IS a private, nude, or even sexual type act. If it is a perfectly natural, normal thing to breastfeed a baby, then it shouldn't matter if someone looked at you or stood near you. Do I think it is creepy if someone stares at someone breastfeeding? Hell yes I do. But it would be equally creepy if I saw someone starting at my wife's ass or down her shirt if she bent down to pick something up. There is no law against someone being a creepy pervert as long as he keeps his limbs to him or herself.

[Belaraiya]

All I can say is someone might want to tell very small children that they have to have better time management, and only get hungry when their mother is in an appropriate area, wearing appropriate clothing, in some little dingy back area where no one can be offended by some skin, some fat and possibly a glimpse of a nipple.


Seriously. Your child is screaming because s/he is hungry.What are you going to do? Most mothers I know, the first instinct is to sooth the child and feed it, and you try telling a baby that it's not feeding time. Babies need to be fed, and they pick whatever damn time they choose to make a hollar about it. No one is forcing you to look, and watch a feeding mother. It's natural, and like someone said earlier - I've seen more offencive tattoo's on a shopping trip than a feeding mother. Just take a look around your local shopping at some of the outfits people are wearing. Girls wearing white tops with no bra, girls with exceptionally large chests wearing string strap tops that are far too low cut, just take a look around and you'll see boobies everywhere - yet no one takes offence at that

[Salimar]

Originally posted by Thalia

I did try to avoid feeding my kid in public, but sometimes it had to be done. I did try to be discreet, but there were a few times other women suggested I go to the restroom. Yeah, like I really want to feed my kid in a dirty public bathroom.

It is always funny to read about people reactions. Mothers who breast feed do not especially enjoy showing their charms around, actually they do not like to do it in front of certain people, usually family men. However, they do it because the kid needs to eat.

Thalia, from your experience, who is more proned to ask a breast-feeding mother to cover up or go to the toilets: male or female? Is it 50-50 or is it a gender problem?

Salimar