Victorian Government workplace agreement enshrines right to chestfeed

Annsy

‘Rainbow Families, the peak body supporting LGBTQ parents, recently paid the Australian Breastfeeding Association $20,000 to develop an educational booklet about lactating and chestfeeding.’

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-right-to-chestfeed-enshrined-in-government-workplace-agreement-20210513-p57rj3.html

Both men and women have breasts. Breastfeeding is the correct term and the right to breastfeed already exists. Also the senate passed laws recently excluding gender inclusive language, but apparently doesn’t apply here…

Annsy

Big debates going on on the ABA facebook page. So frustrating, so many more important problems facing women but we are busy trying to maintain the ground we’ve already won instead of pushing forward.

WidowWyncke

Have they removed the ability to comment?

I can’t see any comments.

Annsy

They have on the relevant post, but on the Mother’s Day post people are arguing about it.

CallMeAl

FFS. If it makes milk, it’s a breast, whoever it’s on. You’re not feeding from your friggin’ collarbone.

wannabefree

If it was called motherfeeding… ok, I’d probably roll my eyes a bit but I’d be more understanding… but its not, its simply labelling a body part.

Morrigan

Men have breasts. This is the most ridiculous posturing bull crap that sets these groups back for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON.

If we can have changes like this made because a few people feel distressed that they may be seen as having female body parts (whilst actually being somehow able to go through a whole pregnancy, give birth and breastfeed - a process described by many as being the most dehumanising, totally sex organ based experience they’ve ever had), can a bunch of non-sport lovers get together and have footy advertising pulled from the tv because after seasons of football related dramas including angry and screaming fathers and husbands, we find it triggering and traumatic?

LL55

But they haven’t made changes. They’ve just added resources for those that want them. There is no across the board change in language. Just this one booklet, and of course counselors using the terms that the parents who seek their help use for themselves.

CallMeAl

LL55

Ah, I was responding to the Vic government bit of the article, not the ABA pamphlet bit.

I think it’s mostly good that the separate pamphlet has been made, although I’m slightly uncomfortable with the fact that this further enshrines that ‘chestfeeding’ is now the inclusive term, but whatevs.

But the Vic Govt putting this in their workplace agreements? That makes me uncomfortable. That’s not going to be workplace agreements for certain people, it’s presumably going to be for everyone. That’s starting to mainstream language that is honestly pretty unnecessary.

Morrigan

Oh right, so they’re not going to refer to it as chestfeeding for anyone who doesn’t want that term? I just don’t see the need though. Men have breasts. As demonstrated whenever anyone says ‘he beat his breast’.

LL55

No definitely not everyone, just those who prefer those terms. They have a statement explaining on their fb page as the press have really taken this and run with it in a way that invites misunderstandings IMO. Clickbait so to speak.

Kreme

LL55

But why do they need a special booklet? Is it purely for the terminology? The process is exactly the same regardless of who is doing the feeding, is it not?

And what happens during pregnancy? Their caregivers must surely refer to uterus, vagina, cervix? All female body parts. Why is only breast considered offensive when, as others have pointed out, it is one of the body parts that actually is common to both men and women?

Heyho2

LL55

Definitely click bait. But! The lack of ability to talk about this in a way that doesn’t involve name calling and threats of doxing across the internet is a significant issue. There are some wider changes happening that started with language and trying to raise concerns without being told you’re killing people by talking about it is impossible. On it’s own, not an issue. With what is happening elsewhere, it’s an issue.

IcyPole

Chests don’t produce milk. Breasts do. Babies don’t feed from chests. They feed from breasts. For babies who are formula fed breasts are still used in the naming of the equipment used: teat, nipple, etc.

Annsy

Just skip breastfeeding and go straight to formula. Like most things for women there’s too much stigma in breastfeeding.

LL55

Kreme

Because it’s important for families to be able to get information that considers their specific situation AND that they can look at and see themselves reflected in. So the pictures are of families that look like their families. Or babies that look like their babies.

Making a booklet for rainbow families is about making sure all families and all babies can have access to evidenced based breastfeeding support and information in a way that is inclusive for them.

There are a bunch of different booklets that ABA produces that cover a range of situations where mothers and families might want more specific advice for their situation. Like after a caesarean, breastfeeding and sleep, breastfeeding and cleft palate etc.

This is just one additional resource that will be available for families who want it.

Llama

Such a storm in a tea cup. The work with the rainbow families group also includes the term “breastfeeding”.

Why do they get a specific booklet? Cause the aba produces booklets for all sorts of special situations- from expressing, returning to work, cleft palates and Down syndrome and multiple language. Some rainbow families have both parents breastfeeding the baby, some trans people struggle due to body dysmorphia.

LL55

Heyho2

I totally agree with this. But in this case I feel the overreacting has come from both sides. And I think it’s due to two things:

one, that the press (probably deliberately) framed this in such a way as to suggest these were across the board changes (knowing that people rarely read the full story of anything these days)

And two that people don’t stop to read the full story these days.

I feel this has been terribly damaging for an organization that runs on the smell of an oily rag and the hours upon hours upon hours of time women donate freely to help other women and families. It doesn’t seem fair that what is a simple act of inclusion has blown up out of proportion and used as a weapon against these women.

Heyho2

I did venture onto thir Facebook page yesterday. They are in a no win situation. It’s too much for some, and not enough for others.

wannabefree

I don’t have a problem with the ABA booklet, its the Vic government workplace agreement that I have an issue with.

Llama

Unfortunately the volunteer staffed breastfeeding helpline is being used for people to ring up an abuse the volunteers over this. This means more mothers can’t get the help.

Heyho2

Llama

That’s terrible. The debate over language needs to happen, otherwise more and more smaller organisations are gonna be pulled into this. How do we have a civilised public discussion about profoundly contentious topics when our media is so inflammatory and partisan?