Mocking Women For Public Breastfeeding Not Enough Anymore, Now Breastfeeding At Home Is Fair Game
We’ve all heard more stories than we can stand about women being harassed or reprimanded for having the audacity to nurse their babies in a public place. But apparently, all that nonsense isn’t enough to sate the Gods of Rage-Inducing News Stories: because now, one woman in the United Kingdom has been made an object of ridicule for breastfeeding her baby inside her own home.
The woman, who at least hasn’t been named, was the subject of a mocking Facebook post by the contractor who’d just been at her house. The builder’s name is Will Wallace, and he doesn’t bear much resemblance to his Braveheart namesake, unless I’m mis-remembering that famous quote. “You can take our lives, but you can never take our freedom … to treat women like objects!” He wrote on his timeline that his Wednesday had taken a “turn for the good” because of walking in on the woman nursing her six-month-old, and after an uncomfortable response from a friend who felt that public breastfeeding was normal and natural, he added:
“Well I would agree with your statement Kirsty but the viewing happened to be in her front room far from the public eye. The misdemeanor was mainly down to the inconsiderate nature of her husband who failed to inform me before I walked in. Whether we’re celebrating something natural or something beautiful, we should celebrate breasts like we celebrate a bank holiday. The post contains no misogynistic nature whatsoever … I know what you feminists get like.”
Ah, I see, the feeding was being done in the privacy of this woman’s front room, so naturally she would appreciate this builder running to Facebook to discuss her boobs with all of his friends. Also, did you know all you have to do to make sure something you say is free of misogyny is to attach a “No Misogyny Here” label to it? Magic! Buzz off, feminists, didn’t you see he SAID there was nothing skeevy or anti-woman here?
In case you were hoping that Wallace decided to call quits after that little train-wreck of a post comment, I’m sorry to disappoint you. He quickly doubled down on the misogyny, with a great big racist cherry on top.
“They should think themselves lucky a bloke named Fayed al Mohamed didn’t walk in or shit would have hit the fan. The bottom line is, take precautions with whatever you do, don’t make yourself a sitting duck. Oh, and I certainly wasn’t perving, given the saggy and disproportionate nature of the breast you’d understand why.”
The shit would have hit the fan? What is he trying to suggest – that a Muslim contractor would have launched a terrorist attack against the home if he saw the woman breastfeeding there? Or just that he would have embarrassed her over it? Which is surely not something good old Mr. Wallace here would do, especially not in a public Facebook post shared among all his friends.
After the pro-breastfeeding cavalry showed up to let Wallace know his dinosaur-esque views on the subject were not appreciated, he issued the standard sorry if you were offended, it was a joke that got out of hand non-apology. And now that the story is in the local newspaper, I hope he sees the change in his business once customers in the area know how little he respects their privacy. And even more than that? I hope that people can stop subjecting breastfeeding women (in public or in private) to this kind of childish public embarrassment.
(Image: MitarArt/Shutterstock)
