A woman refused a request from a stewardess to cover her breast while breastfeeding yet this story is pitched as a "nurse in" to protest not being allowed to breastfeed on planes? O brother. This is a protest against the airline disallowing exhibitionism, not breastfeeding (which is fine by them, just cover it).
It would be fun to hire some nude dancers to go up to their kids and flip out their breasts as a protest to their misdirected stupid protest.
You both call this exhibitionism. So could either of you point out any photo above where a mother has "flipped out" her breast?
If you bother to read the threads following the original incident, you'll see that the article states that
(a) the mother was nursing discreetly,
(b) no flesh was exposed and
(c) the baby's father was sitting between the mother and the aisle, also helping to screen off mother and child.
No passengers had complained -- it was simply an officious stew...er, "flight attendant," who decided to throw his or her weight around.
I nursed four babies, so I know it can be done discreetly. And it usually is.
(And btw, those four babies I nursed are all grown up now. All are highly productive and patriotic conservative citizens. I never had a single problem with any of them getting into drugs or alcohol or tattoos or piercings or eating disorders or any other adolescent crises. Did my nursing them have anything to do with their eventual success? I have no doubt it did.)
That is not how the story goes. She was in the last row of the plane, in the window seat, with her husband next to her.
She was nursing her child for takeoff (helps the ears so they don't scream) - being discreet. No other passenger complained, as they could not see her. It was the stewardess. She asked her to put a blanket over the baby's head.
How comfortable do you think it is for a baby to be under a blanket, on an already stuffy airplane?
Furthermore, she was on a plane at an airport in a state that has laws allowing breastfeeding.
The airline was wrong in kicking her off.
Good for these moms....
I think you missed the original story. The flight attendant didn't ask her to cover her breast (which wasn't exposed.) She wanted her to put the blanket over her baby's head.
Personally, I would have accepted the blanket, said "Thank you very much," and put it under my baby's bottom. However, she merely declined it. The flight attendant's response (putting her off the flight) was un-called-for, which the airline itself acknowledged by apologizing to the couple and discipining the FA.
This information is for the benefit of those who are interested in an accurate story, rather than just another opportunity to demean and ridicule nursing mothers.