Nursing Mother Called “Immoral” At Vancouver Museum
Augh. It’s happened again.
A woman began to breastfeed in the Science World museum when a volunteer directed her to the nursing room. Because Kristen George was with her 23-month-old and her 8-week-old nursling, she stayed put, keeping an eye on one child while soothing the infant.
I’ve always felt a little self-conscious, so I usually pump and bring a bottle, but I had forgotten it this time.
George was in the section of the museum specifically for infants and kids, and says she was wearing a baggy shirt that covered her. She says she was approached by a young man who asked her to move. Then when she responded that she wasn’t “doing anything wrong,” he said what she was doing was,
Morally wrong
His words were loud enough to catch the attention of other parents, now making something otherwise mostly overlooked into a spectacle. Fabulous.
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He reprimanded and embarrassed her so much that she left with her children. George said he was smirking as she struggled to collect her toddler with her now-screaming infant in her arms.
She complained to Science World, which says it has changed its orientation policy for volunteers so that they are well-acquainted with being breastfeeding-friendly.The museum says that the volunteer in question was embarrassed after the fact and cited his age as being the factor in his ridiculing this woman. Yeah, because when something makes a teenager uncomfortable, they often march up and confront it.
We were extremely upset that this incident happened. Clearly it’s against the policy, practice and philosophy of our institution.
Though Science World offered to give her a free extension on her family’s membership, all George wants is an apology. She says the incident has made her become an accidental lactivist.
I’ve always used a hooter-hider to cover up. Now I want to burn it. By covering up am I also spreading the belief that breastfeeding is dirty?
Image and Story: Vancouver Sun
Being from BC Canada.. I’ll point out, it is perfectly legal for women to walk around topless in BC…
The pissant at the science center should be fired.
As a Vancouverite who has breastfed at Science World, I was horrified by this story. I am very glad that Science World has taken steps to see that this doesn’t happen again. I feel deeply for Kristen, and I hope that she is able to find some peace and closure, knowing full well that she did NOTHING WRONG.
It’s so disappointing that institutions only seem to become proactive about educating their staff and volunteers after incidents like this happen. Why not avoid the problem in the first place by being proactive? Why does it take a humiliated mother to clarify your policy?
I’m surprised none of the other parents spoke up. I don’t consider myself an activist, but if I saw someone harassing a nursing mother I would have said something in her support.
Oh man, that is beyond messed up. I woulod have bitten back, and it would have started with “listen here, little boy..”
West coast BC is generally very, very liberal… I lived out there for a couple years in fact. That’s really surprising that it would happen there. I chalk it up to one idiot staffer and not a general policy, though it shouldn’t have escalated to a point where she felt she had to leave. You’d think that with any kind of confrontation, with a non-cooperative (for good reason or ill reason) patron, additional staff (and higher-ups) would be pulled in to sort things out.
“By covering up am I also spreading the belief that breastfeeding is dirty?” That’s a complex question. On the one hand… yes, I think it does. It’s saying that I SHOULD cover up, and so there must be a reason why it’s bad NOT to cover up. But on the other hand, there’s also the level of personal comfort and choice involved, and women should not be FORCED to not cover up if they’d rather cover up!
Don’t get me going on the name “hooter hider” though lol… that says it all right there.
I agree with Alexa–I would have spoken up for this mama. Poor thing! It’s one of those incidences where you run through your head all of the things you WISH you had said in the moment but were too shocked and embarrassed to do so…After a year of nursing, I haven’t had any comments or even any looks–the only comment I’ve had is the typical “you’re STILL nursing”? I always reply “The WHO recommends bf’ing for at least a year…” and they just say “oh”…*sigh*
Like Amber, I too am happy Science World it taking steps to prevent this from happening again. So often organizations defend themselves and their staff, which makes the original offense that much worse.
Still, I am always surprised to hear *yet another* story like this in the news. I’m sure it happens much more often that we know.
When reading about her experience, I could so easily imagine her distress over the situation. A baby just needed to eat and a toddler needed to play. How many times have I been in the exact situation!
Great question about covering up! I’m still sorting out how I feel about it. What’s nature and what’s nurture/society, etc.?
Meanwhile, my second child is almost 17 months and I’ve fed both children in many situations with varying degrees of covering/not covering. Sometimes a blanket over her removes the distractions so she can focus on breastfeeding. Sometimes she pops off to grin and someone may see a nipple *horrors!* (sarcastic)
Yikes!
Although, every time I hear one of these stories there is part of me that thinks this is good press. Women are well educated of their rights and we are well connected via all this spang-dangled new technology and I think the more we hear these stories (even though they are upsetting) the more the public can hear the truth about how normal bfing is. Thanks for keeping us in the know Cate.
M O R A L L Y W R O N G?!? It is the science center’s obligation to uphold morality (whose???)? That boy should have been fired and a public apology made. How DARE they allow that behavior and gloss it over with a free membership extension.