Removal of Emily Gillete from Delta Flight 6160

I agree with you 100%. My child was the same way when I was nursing.
She wouldn't have a blanket, especially in the heat of the summer. Do
you know if they have made any progress or any thing has happened to
compensate Mrs. Gilletee?

Delta-Doesn't Even Leave The Airport. Or in this case SDELTA- She
Didn't Even Leave The Airport

Sex is a natural thing and it's primary function is for reproduction
but yet if someone had sex in public in front of a plane full of
people they would have been kicked off and arrested.

I support the fact that she is a breast feeding mother but breast
feeding is supposed to bonding time between mother and baby. She
should have covered up.

You know that if the mother didnt feed the baby, it would be CRYING
the whole time. Then the mother would be looked down on for not
taking care of the little one.

What a prudish country we have. I would guess that Saudi Arabia is
the only other country in the world where the public would get excited
(and restrictive) about a mother breastfeeding her child.

I wouldn't brag about being from Vermont and the type of laws that you
have there. Brothers and Sisters marry each other in Vermont. Have
for centuries. Your laws don't make it right. I travel a lot and
have witnessed the same thing. A woman whips out her breast, full
frontal to everyone around her and the baby starts sucking on it
without any attempt to be discreet. Who the hell wants to see that!
Most of us don't. If she refused the blanket, then I'm glad they
booted her off of the plane. Have some decency for crying out loud.

How long was the flight? If it was a short flight, why couldn't she
wait until the flight landed and breastfeed in the airport where there
might be a little more privacy and room?

My take on it is this:

If you don't like it, DON'T LOOK IN THAT DIRECTION. Just turn your
pointy little head and look out the window or take a nap.

If you do like it, DON'T LOOK EITHER. That's a little sick.

That baby had to eat. Would you like to eat with a blanket covering
your face?

Good for Delta! Maybe I will fly them next time!

I have just one simple question: why is breastfeeding now such an
issue and why do some women think their right to breastfeed is more
important than the rights of others to not be uncomfortable?
I was a breastfed baby, most women in my family have breastfed and
most of my friends breastfeed, but somehow my mother, all my other
relatives and my friends managed to do this over the years 1) both in
private and in public and 2) in a way that allowed them to breastfeed
their baby without being ostentatious.

I know some babies are uncomfortable with blankets over them but many
are not. While I believe that every woman has the right to breastfeed
and that every baby has the right to the benefits of this action, it
should also be the rights of a business or of anyone nearby to
respectfully ask for the woman to cover up if it makes someone
uncomfortable. There has got to be a way to strike a balance with this
issue. Here in South Carolina we had a big stink because a Victoria's
Secret saleswoman would not let a woman use a dressing room to
breastfeed because it was during a peak sale and there were customers
waiting for the dressing room. In my opinion it was the
businesswoman's prerogative to reserve the dressing room for
customers; also, it should have been the airline's prerogative to ask
for a customer to be discreet if that was what was wished, or what any
other passenger wished. A breastfeeding mom's concerns do not, I'm
sorry, override the concerns of everybody else.

And to echo another poster, yes, in this day and age if you are
combative in any way with a flight attendant, you're most likely going
to be tossed off the plane, no matter what the issue is.

I do not have a problem with breastfeeding- I have breastfed my own
daughter on a flight or two. I do however think that there are ways to
be discreet about it and not offend others. It is certainly your right
to feed your child- and most passengers want your child to be happy
and comfortable. But there's the rub... just as much as your child
deserves to be comfortable, so does every other paying customer on the
flight. They have a right to be comfortable too, and your child's
right should not supercede theirs. Some people are completely
disturbed by breastfeeding- and some may even have religious reasons
for not wanting to see or be near a mother partially undressed. Like
it or not, you can impose your sense of values onto others- the best
we all can do is compromise to meet everyone's needs. So I dont think
its a big deal to cover yourself with a blanket and nurse your child.
It sounds as if they did everything they could to accomodate the
woman, but she decided to be anarchist about it.

The point you tried to make about a woman's low cut top is not
comparable here. A good reach, but not the same. There are public
standards that we all must meet- if her nipples are showing, then she
can be arrested or cited for public indecency. But not the same thing.

AMEN. Well said and thankyou very much for saying it!

I have some legal background and heard about this discussion from
another site. Interesting to say, breastfeeding is only legally
permitted by saying that if you are breastfeeding, you cannot be
arrested for indecent exposure within most states. It does not mean
that a breastfeeding mother is allowed to go anywhere she wishes.

Mr. & Mrs. Gillette have hired an attorney to represent them. The
airline has officially stated their policy is to not refuse nursing
mothers, but have also considered their actions appropriate in respect
to the actions of Mrs. Gillette after being addressed by the Delta
associate.

I guess there are both people that believe in and don't believe in
public breastfeeding. Maybe the best solution is everyone trying to
be considerate of the other person and the problems wouldn't exist.

Last time I checked Delta letters before this, it seemed to be agreed
that Delta was on par with Aeroflot or Mexicana.

Anything a mother can do on a plane that will keep her kid(s) quiet
should be allowed and encouraged.

Would you rather look at a one, two even five year old breast feed, or
listen to 5 hours of "ARE WE THERE YET!" or
"WAHHHAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Besides last time I was flying there was a women doing the same, and
the quick flash of nipple I saw was a nice treat.

I've read most (though probably not all) of the stuff about this and
have seen/heard some talk about it on the tv and radio. My thoughts on
the matter are that based on what I have heard the woman did nothing
wrong except somehow upset the FA who threw her off the plane. Now
here is where the problem is, Delta says they punished the FA for
thowing the woman off so that tells me that she was more in the wrong
then the woman. My opinon of the matter is that the FA just has a
problem with brestfeeding.

Just like I have a problem with making out in public. If I saw two
people making out on a plane (I'm not talking about just kissing, but
really making out) I would complain to the FA and if nothing was done
to stop them and my niece was with me then I might even say something
to the couple. It just makes me want puke when I see that and I often
think other people feel the same way when they don't.

I got the impression that this is what happened with the FA. She is
really bothered by people breastfeeding in public and asked the woman
to cover up. Maybe people looked to see why she asked and the woman
refused and she just figured that others were bothered by it too.

The fact of the matter remains though that it doesn't matter if the
FA was bothered or if anyone else was bothered or how old the child
is. The law protects brestfeeding and it doesn't matter if the child
could have waited or was to old ect. Unless the woman did something
else the FA had no right to kick her off and Delta is in the wrong. I
think that if the woman had done something else wrong Delta would have
said so when they made their statement(s). So I feel that Delta was in
the wrong and the FA had no right to kick the woman off.

I don't have a problem with mothers breast feeding, but my problem is
that some of the mothers have no concern for the rest of us sitting
around them. If they are discreet and drape a blanket or coat over
their exposed breast. Then there should be no problem..I have seen
woman with no regard for little kids and young boys that are sitting
around them and they whip out their breast. They are not trying to
just feed their babies but merely trying to shock us and dare us to
say anything. I believe this was the case with this woman on the Delta
flight. I'm sure she was given an alternative, but chose to publicize
this as discrimination. Ms. Gillete ahould fee her child no matter how
big or old..That's her choice, Just don't flaunt it on me...Yes I am a
mother and have breast fed my girls at some point.
Delta was right and hey maybe they should be awarded.

According to Alice Bradley of AlphaMom, "Thank you, Delta Airlines.
Thank you for finally taking a stand against the #1 scourge of the
skies: nursing women." She then continues, "Nursing women are
killers, and they must be stopped."

She states several things that are, in my opinion, way over the top.
I guess this Emily Gillette has really embarrassed portions of the
breast-feeding community because of her defiance to cover up.

Seeing the photos of her, now all over the internet and news stands, I
can understand the concern. This was no small child she was nursing,
but grown child. To me it looked like a child you'd find standing at
a drinking fountain line; heck, without knowing, I may have stood
there waiting for my turn.






Okay, it was only a joke. Get over it.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15924715/site/newsweek/

""Breast milk is a super form of nutrition for babies; scientists are
astounded at the way nature has been able to concentrate so much good
stuff in such an easily digestible form. Breast milk contains
immunities, which help protect babies from disease and infection. Baby
formula just can't match it. As a result, the American Academy of
Pediatrics now urges moms to breast feed for "at least" a year, adding
that up to three years is healthy. A public health campaign is
currently underway to echo that recommendation.""

""One of the copilots followed them out and apologetically explained
that he could not overrule the flight attendant's decision. "He said,
'I'm so sorry. I have two children, and there's nothing I can do about
this...The same way that I have control over the cockpit, she has
control over the passenger area.'" ""

""The airline has disciplined the flight attendant; a spokesman,
contacted by NEWSWEEK, did not dispute the Gillette family's version
of the events.""

TERRORISTS LOVE BREASTFEEDING! BREAST FEEDING IS ANTI-AMERICAN THREAT
TO THE FABRIC OF OUR NATION!!

I have read all the posts and articles I could find on this story. It
seems to boil down to the fact that Ms Gillette is complaining that
the FA told her she couldn't breast feed on the plane while the
airline is stating all the FA did was ask her to cover up more and she
became rude and beligerent.

I think there is more going on here. It appears to me that Ms Gillette
is enlisting the aid of unwitting breast-feeding supporters to rally
against the airline which she will no doubt attempt to sue.

I don't think she is looking for justice. I think she is looking for
deep pockets to make some money off this incident along with her 15
minutes of fame.

Once your in the air your at the mercy of the airline. Sad, but true.
Your rights are pretty much gone. If you do something that is
unpopular or makes people uncomfortable, then you will be treated
poorly. There was an article in The Advocate last month about a gay
couple on a flight. One of them had his head on his partner's
shoulder and they would occasionally give eachother light pecks on the
forehead et al. Just typical, tender treatment that no one would
blink at if it was a straight couple, but because they are gay and a
customer complained, they were threatened with the flight being
deverted and them kicked off the flight if they didn't "cut it out".
So it's sad, but our rights, and the freedoms that we take for granted
at home don't apply in the air. The airline in question is American
Airlines who typically is a very gay friendly company. I believe that
the stewardess should have told the coplaining passengers to sit down,
shut up, and learn to respect others.

I think the main issue here is not so much the breastfeeding in a
public place but the fact that the woman refused to cooperate with the
FA by not covering up.

In this day and age, anyone who does not cooperate or refuses to
observe the airline's rules is escorted off the plane. If the story is
true that the woman was being belligerent and uncooperative then I
think the airline was within it's rights to tell her to leave the
plane.

http://www.mothering.com/sections/news_bulletins/emily-gillette.html
ONE place they had trouble... Dallas, tx, the state that turned out
the pinheaded monkey boy. I KNEW there was nothing in Dallas that I
ever wanted to see.

Sacramento... They received many "thumbs up" gestures and smiles and
support. The local news and the "Sacramento Bee" covered the event.

Baltimore... 30 mothers, more than 30 kids. Moms seated themselves in
front of the Delta counter and were interviewed by tv and newspapers.
""Most onlookers had heard about Emily Gillette and were in support of
the breastfeeders. According to Lorrie, the organizer of the nurse-in,
"Two representatives of BWI airport were standing discreetly by,
watching us, but not interfering. I went over with my public flyer to
hand them (with the symbol on it of course). We talked at length and
the older gentleman offered that they have a toddler play room on the
second floor and invited us to use it after we were done. I talked
about previous breastfeeding incidents on airlines and the pumped
breastmilk/security issue and then got into a dialogue about the icon.
I asked them to start using it at BWI. The older gentleman said he
would mention it to the 'powers that be upstairs.' I intend to write a
formal letter asking BWI to adopt the symbol for their facilities."
Lorrie and Mollie (a co-organizer) also did some radio morning shows
on their cell phones while en route to the nurse-in. Lorrie will be
interviewed by the O'Reilly Factor along with a childless female
lawyer representing the "stay in your house and cover up" crowd.""

In Dallas...
""Dallas Nurse-In
Six mothers and nine children came to the Dallas airport only to be
asked to leave within 15 minutes. According to police, a complaint was
made against the mothers for "baring" their breasts. Maria, one of the
nurse-in moms, reported that an officer described their gathering as
"horrible." After discussion of breastfeeding legal rights they were
told a permit would be necessary for them to be at the airport, which
takes a minimum of three days to receive. The group is considering
another nurse-in in a few weeks. Maria, with her her children Ashby,
Reese and Wes, was interviewed by the local news crew.""

Man, you and this lady should not be breastfeeding, ever - because if
you think this is appropriate behavior in a public place, then you are
high on SOMETHING the baby shouldn't have in its system.
And for all you people who said when you were asked to move people
stared at you? It was YOUR idea to hang your mammary glands on public
display in the first place, practically screaming, here's my breast,
take a good, long look. If you're gonna hang it out there, honey, you
have NO right to be offended if someone looks! It is a little
difficult NOT to look! I mean, it's not something the average person
does on a regular basis, even when breastfeeding.
I DID breastfeed - I just had enough modesty and courtesy to make sure
I covered myself AND was in a private place, and there is such a thing
as a breast pump so you can give that natural nourishment via a bottle
in an emergency.
Those of you who support this sicko who needs a shrink for her
exhibitionism - you're ALL exhibitionists - and perverts - in my
opinion. AND I would bet you're the type to dress in revealing clothes
and accuse a man of sexual harassment and a woman of being a lesbian
for looking. It's what you want secretly when you do this type of
thing, for people to look at you and notice you, otherwise, why do it
at all? If you don't want people to stare at you, keep yourself
covered and modestly dressed. If you don't cover yourself and dress
modestly, shut up when someone notices or asks you to cover yourself.
Your right to expose your body in public ends where my eyesight begins
if I am in range - and something that extreme is pretty hard to
ignore.
Go see a shrink. And if any social workers live near these people - I
would worry about what they're teaching these innocent babies!

I dont want my 6 year old son exposed to any womans breast until Im
ready to explain facts to him. Exposing yourself by breastfeeding is
not acceptable to me. You could have at least covered up. Since you
didnt it only shows your education and social class.

Actually my post was based upon how a person and societies define
their morals. There are those that believe it is fine to walk around,
completely unclothed in certain areas places, such as a clothing
optional community. Now compare that to the way society viewed the
way to dress, by both men and women's standards, at the turn of the
twentieth century.

To say that moral values have not become much more relaxed, in this
way, over the last one-hundred years is simply uneducated.

This is absolutely everything to do about morals, both individual and
social. To say otherwise is, without question, ignorant.

Saying you believe it is okay to display one's breasts in public is
neither wrong nor right, but don't be naive enough to claim that set
of morals is as high as those saying a lady should not. Doing so is
displaying nothing but a poor education.

As others have already stated, God did not invent Levis, but that
doesn't mean our society finds it okay to walk around without pants.

I believe that if you were to walk into a synagogue, where it is
expected your head be covered, you should respect the belief and cover
your head, this is regardless of your personal faith.

As such, if you are within a community where there is a common belief
to cover your breasts, you should do so. To board a plane, and whip
them out, is extremely impolite and shows a huge lack of respect of
one's own body. She is claiming she was embarrassed by the airlines
by being asked to cover up, but what about the photos now circulating?
Can you imagine that your friends, family, neighbors are viewing you
on the net or store shelves? Some people would not care at all;
others, though, would be so embarrassed as to never want to face
anyone again. Just something to keep in mind before you expose
yourself in public.

It's too bad we don't get to choose the airlines we fly. Based on
destination, time and price, we rarely can pick the carrier we prefer.
If we could, Delta would suffer deserving repurcussions over this.

I remember being asked to leave a public pool while nursing my infant
son. I went to the locker room and sat on a bench. Every person who
came in stared at me. At poolside, no one was looking except the
security guard because all the other people (women and children) were
swimming and having fun.

All the letters from women who take Delta's side in this cannot
possibly have ever breastfed a child. Had they experienced this
method of feeding and soothing a child, they would know that it is
always discreet, always calming to the nursing pair and totally
something to be admired and supported in every way.

Whenever I see a breastfeeding mother, I try to offer words of
encouragement and a drink of water or an extra hand, if I can. As a
postpartum doula, one of my duties is to encourage and support
breastfeeding. I have amny new mothers who are anxious about taking
trips with babies. I always recommend nursing during take-off and
landing, as well as during the flight, as needed. I nursed my babies
well past their first and second birthdays and it is the most
effective mothering technique I know.

When I nursed my twins, discretion was difficult so I tried to nurse
them one at a time when I was out. Back when they were small, 24
years ago, nursing was just coming back into fashion. There were few
locations set up for nursing. I remember sitting on an open toilet
set in a stall at Macy's to nurse because there was no other place to
sit down. We've come a long way but if we attack each other for doing
the best mothering job we possibly can, we must still have a long way
to go.

I will be flying on Delta in January. I am sure they regret this
incident and now realize how inappropriate it was for this mother to
be confronted about nursing.

As for the replies which write in adding their perceptions when they
weren't even ther, shame on you. When you have babies of your own,
perhaps you will regret your harsh judgement. And, obviously, you
were not breastfed or you would have the intelligence (from
breastmilk) to realize how appropriate breastfeeding is.

Lauren taylo, PPD, CCE

You have GOT to be kidding me. I understand that breastfeeding is
completely natural, but if there is one thing I CANNOT STAND, it's
women who whip out a breast, no matter where, and start to breastfeed.


It's not the breastfeeding that bothers me, but the women who refuse
to be decent and discreet about it. The ones who sit there defiantly
like, "It's my right, SAY SOMETHING OTHERWISE." I've been subjected
to all sorts of disgusting displays of public breastfeeding, and it's
not right. When I'm sharing a meal with my family, I should not have
to watch a woman pop out a breast, pull on her nipple to get things
going, then have her child latch on with no cover. I've even
witnessed things like that, where the baby coughs or is done, and milk
is dribbling on the woman's breast, and she makes no effort to cover
herself while she cleans herself up.

One poster said something about, "Oh, it's the most natural thing,
there weren't bottles when man first walked the earth..." You know
what I say to that? BOLLOCKS. There weren't trousers either when men
first walked the earth, but we expect a man to cover his dick in
public. Some advancements, I think, are kinda nice.

And breastfeeding a two year old? By that stage, if you want to keep
breastfeeding him/her, fine. Your choice. But I don't think the
actual sucking of your nipple is essential, especially on somewhere
like a plane. You want him to have breast milk? Fine. Use a pump in
the bathroom (AFTER take off, like everyone else has to wait to use
the bathroom), OR, pump a bottle BEFORE you get on the plane. The
nipple of a bottle is made to mimick a woman's nipple, so I'm sure
these great "soothing" effects can be garnered from a bottle - or do
you believe that things like pacifiers are a bunch of witch doctor
voodoo?

I'm not even sorry she had her picture taken. Why, all of a sudden,
is she "embarrassed by being displayed" in that manner? Was that a
view only seats A-F were supposed to be treated to? If it's SO
NATURAL that she had no problem making people on a plane see her like
that, I don't understand why it's different now. Afterall, it's just
a natural picture of a mother breastfeeding her child, right? And if
she was exercising the simple, courteous discretion that is not only
polite, but MANDATED by states that say public breastfeeding is okay,
then there shouldn't be anything worrying on display.

I know I'd be PISSED if I had to sit next to a woman who insisted on
breastfeeding her TODDLER without even covering up. It's not like
they asked her to smother the child - last I checked those airplane
blankets were pathetically thin anyway.

Kudos, Delta, on thinking of ALL of your passengers, and not just the
stubborn, impolite ones with a COMPLETE disregard for other
passengers. I plan on having kids with my fiance, but I would never,
EVER breastfeed in public, ESPECIALLY not without totally covering
myself. No one should see my tits other than my fiance - I don't care
how "natural" it would be to expose them in ANY case. There are other
people that think that sort of stuff is permissable - and they live in
their own colonies. I'm not saying NO public breastfeeding, but other
people have the right NOT to have to see you wipe your dripping nipple
in between bites of spaghetti.

The entire topic is about morals, both individual and social. To
claim otherwise shows a certain amount of ignorance.

Morals are not considered acceptable or not because of others within a
segment of society; i.e. prostitution is not considered moral because
others also prostitute.

You can absolutely consider covering one's self while nursing more
moral than not. This does not mean that displaying one's breasts is
immoral, but it is definitely less moral than that of covering one's
self.

Each person has a different level of morals. It can also be said that
different groups of people, making a society, also will accept a
different level of morals. I would bet many people in a liberal
society, such as New York, would consider baring one's nudity,
acceptable, whereas groups of people within the Bible belt would not.

I read someplace that a photo was snapped of her while she nursed and
the picture has or will appear in one of the tabloids. The article
stated she wasn't real happy about being displayed in such a way.

Why do so many people have a problem with breastfeeding? Breastfeding
is the MOST NATURAL thing in the world. There were no bottles around
when humans first walked the earth. Formula does not provide the same
nutritious benefits that breastmilk does. Breastfeeding also provide a
sense of comfort that botle feeding cannot mimick. I think that anyone
who has a problem with breastfeeding has a mental problem.
Breatfeeding is completely natural. After all, that is what they are
for! Breats provide food, and as long as she (Emily) was not flaunting
them out for all to see, the baby would be covering enough even
without a blanket. She should sue Delta.

I'll fly Delta anytime. This woman was 'nursing' a 2 year old. It
could have waited. I hardly consider a 2 year old a 'baby' either.

That is an absolute outrage in this day and age !! Imagine the total
embarassment she went through just to nurse her child. she should not
only demand an apology from the airline, but sue the pants off them!!

A lady should absolutely cover up while nursing.

A nursing blanket is not required to be heavy or made of any
particular material. Many blankets are produced that allow for proper
ventilation.

As another poster indicated, they are breasts and not Tupperware.

If she was asked to cover up and refused, I would have appreciated an
attendant asking her to leave the plane. She should just be thankful
they were not in the air when it happened. I'm sure there may have
been other families on the plane, along with children, that Delta had
a responsibility for as well.

I would be much more willing to fly Delta if they were readily willing
to enforce such a policy.

I agree 100% that Emily Gilletee was publicly humiliated. Our society
is so double standadized to think that a a womwn should have to cover
up herself to satisfy anyone but herself. It is about time that
American based businesses embraced genuine human issues and take the
lead in our society to desexualize a womens' breasts and treat her
like a person Emily Gillete should be recognized for her committment
to giving birth and nusing her children. Good going Emily, and all
nursing mothers in the United States and everywhere.
Paul S.

Okay, simple question that is along these same lines...

Girls and women are now piercing their nipples. Does this mean they
will be unable to, or have difficulties nursing in the future?

I just had a baby at the end of September and he and I flew to Memphis
for the first time at 7 weeks of age. I would NEVER have thought of
exposing myself like that. I would cover myself and my baby. Nursing
is a natural thing to do, but it is also a private thing and should be
kept that way.

I agree. Even though I object to people exposing themselves in public,
a woman breastfeeding her baby is an exception. I support the right of
a woman to breastfeed her baby in public because the baby needs the
nourishment of it's mother's milk. I do hope Emily takes legal action
against Delta.

There may be more to the story, but for what it's worth, Skellon
(Freedom Airlines) is now backpedaling, saying that the flight
attendant acted innapropriately and has been disciplined.

A brief excerpt of his response:
" We concluded that the flight attendant in question acted contrary to
the Company's expectations. We believe our disciplinary action was
appropriate [no mention of what this action was] and was taken after
considering all of the facts leading to this incident. I do believe it
is worth noting that the events described in the article failed to
include the fact that the flight attendant in question was young and
new to her job. Furthermore, following the incident, the Captain
apologized to the passenger and her family and immediately requested
that they be re-boarded for their flight (an offer the family
refused). "

Mrs. Gillette is denying that she was asked to reboard; given that
there was no mention of this offer until today, and knowing that were
I in her position, having just had to keep a child content over a 3
hour delay, I would have wanted to get the trip over with as quickly
as possible, I'm inclined to believer her. However, who knows.

Okay, I finally had a chance to read through this discussion. On many
points (ie, appropriate age to nurse a child) we're all just going to
have to agree to disagree.

The point I want to address directly is that I did not write this
letter on Mrs. Gillette's behalf. If the goal were simply for
individual reparations to be made, then yes, it would have been more
effective for her to addresss the issue on her own. However, what I
want is policy change (for myself as much as anyone else), and I
believe that in that goal, there is strength in numbers.

There are plenty of hypothetical reasons (safety, confrontation, etc)
why Mrs. Gillette could have been removed, but the only one that has
been given by Delta, and they have had plenty of time to respond, has
been "discretion." I'd also like to point out that a blanket would
hardly have changed the child's or anyone else's safety.

To those of you who have said there are polite and impolite ways to
nurse, I agree! I actually use a cover made specifically for nursing
whenver my son will stand for it. However, in this instance the woman
was not whipping up her shirt in the middle of a restaurant; she was
sitting by the window with her husband on the outside; short of her
standing up and shouting "I'm breastfeeding my 22 month old!" it's
hard for me to imagine how anyone could have seen anything without
their really trying.

As the resident preggo of the "regulars" (at least I don't know of
anyone else that's also expecting right now) I kind of take issue with
this letter.

While it's great that you are supporting this woman, ideally SHE needs
to be the one to complain. While you might think you are being
supportive of her plight, it really "loses something in the
translation" when 3 or 4 other irate women who have NO connection to
this mother start making demands to the airline and writing letters on
her behalf.

I fully intend to nurse my new son when he arrives next month. I did
so with my first born as well. But regardless of whether anyone around
me thinks that it is "right or wrong" of me to feed him that way,
there is still an obligation on my part to be discreet and (to some
degree) sensitive to the feelings of others.

Me whipping out a boob and nursing in any old public place just
because I can is not an excuse.

Don't get me wrong, I fully believe in the right to nurse my children,
but there is still an onus on me to use some common sense and tact.
It's a natural, normal thing, to be sure, but if this woman was
flagrantly violating safety issues (nursing the child during
takeoff???) and refusing to decently/appropriately cover herself, then
she deserved to be removed.

There was a lady on the Ohio Turnpike a few years back who decided to
nurse her child WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING! Now granted, she was fully in
her right to nurse the child, but not while operating a motor vehicle
and NOT while taking off in an airplane either. Some situations just
DON'T lend themselves to this.

Having the right to do this does not relieve her from the
responsibility of being a decent, responsible, considerate person.

So again, to both Kandice and Jennifer, I am sure your intentions are
good and noble, but ultimately, this needs to come from the mother who
did this and not a 3rd party who was not even present on the flight.

This was a horrible thing for Delta to do. It's disgusting to think
that in our supposedly civilised and enlightened time, there are still
those who get offended over something as natural and pure as a woman
feeding her baby (For those people who ARE offended by it, I suggest
moving to Tehran, you won't see much of it there)

I'm almost never in favour of lawsuits, but in this one case I hope
the woman does sue, not so much for the money but to send a strong
message about just how unacceptable this situation is. Shame on you,
Delta!

Personally, I would much rather see a portion of a breast so a mother
can feed a hungry/upset child rather than listen to said child
screaming for an entire flight because it's being denied
food/comfort.

I bet people saw more breasts on the magazines they were reading on
the flight than they did from this mother. People need to grow up.

Women expose themselves for the purpose of attention .Look at the
dancing with the stars and jerry springer. The women were nearly nude
on the dancing show.What would you say if men started exposing
themselves. Women do it for the exposure, no pun intended. All she had
to do was to cover up.

I haven't read all the posters so I don't know if this has already
been said, but I find it ironic that breastfeeding in public is so
"taboo" in our society when sex and showing the body off is so open
and acceptable. I find it slightly disheartening that people will get
offended at a mother nursing her child but will willingly watch a
music video with half-naked women dancing around. I still nurse my 15
month old son, and while he doesn't need to nurse in public anymore,
if I felt he needed it I would nurse him. For those of you who
suggested pumping, I know that personally my son would never take a
bottle of pumped milk if I was anywhere around, even if my husband
tried to give it to him. He wanted the real thing from mommy! Also,
covering with a blanket is ok, but a lot of times a nursing child gets
hot and sweats...a blanket just makes it worse. You can be discrete
while breastfeeding without covering up from head to toe. To me,
shrouding yourself in blankets draws much more attention than quietly
nursing. At any rate, I find this situation appalling.

Or does the title of this thread sound morbid? The more I read it,
the more "Removal of Emily Gillette" sounds like the title of a Law &
Order or CSI episode. And, like those TV shows, this thread is full
of overblown drama.

(I'm NOT saying breastfeeding, in public or otherwise, is wrong! This
is just my observation!)

So what's the big deal with covering up with a blanket? She was being
combative and unreasonable.

Great Letter, Jennifer. I read the article. She was seated in the back
next to a window with her husband beside her. Even IF she made an
issue of it, it's her right to breast feed her child. If someone was
offended, then turn the other way, read a magazine, meditate, look out
the window, or mind their own business.

It's a natural body function that all mammals have the ability and
right to do. Delta made much ado about nothing and caused this woman
embarrassment that was uncalled for.

Fortunately we've come far enough to be permitted to nurse in public
at all. Only 15 yrs ago when I breasfed my son it was illegal and I
could have been arrested. But unfortunately we have not come far
enough from the breast being considered only a sexual body part.
Etiquette? I think it is difficult enough to have to endure a public
feeding with stares, comments and disapproval which by the way can
slow down the milk flow and make the baby cry.....adding another
issue. Add to it the difficulty of being in a possibly uncomfortable
seat, holding the baby up for a lengthy time. Why can't people learn
to be polite and let the mother and child have their time together to
get a normal feeding in? By making such a big deal of it just causes
a lot of unnecessary stress to everyone, especially to the baby.

If I was on the plane with her, I would have whipped out my digital
camera and started snapping off photos.

I read an article aobut this last night (someone posted it on my
Attachment Parenting forum), and I was disgusted. I alwayed NIP'd, and
would be so angry if someone threw me off an airplane for doing it.
When a kid's got to eat...Plus, it is recommended that you nurse a
child during takeoff and landing so their ears don't pop.
I hope Delta gets a landslide of letters complaining about this one.

It is NOT Emily Gillete who has the problem, it is the rest of the
world who finds a natural way to feed a child that is the problem.
When a woman breastfeeds the nipple is about the only thing that you
cannot see. I have seen PLENTY of photos of women who were NOT
brestfeeding and they were showing far more than any breastfeeding
mother shows and not a word had been said. But now, because a woman
chooses to feed her child the way it was intended and not cover up,
they want to kick her off a flight.

BTW, I breastfed my two younger children and one of those times I
happen to be in WalMart without a blanket. I did have a jacket. I
took my baby into the women's room to start her. She was too young to
have removed the clothing from her face and I kept watch on her while
she enjoyed her meal. NO ONE SAID A WORD. Once finished, I politely
pulled my little one away and went about my business. There is
nothing more natural than breastfeeding and therefore it should not
offend anyone.

"Oh, sir, you eating manners are horrible and you are offending me.
Please cover yourself with this blanket so I do not have to watch you
eat."

I personally feel that breastfeeding in public is no big deal. I also
feel that modern culture's attitude about the human body is seriously
flawed, and that there is nothing "dirty" about any part of the body.
The human body and the things it is capable of are truly amazing, and
hiding bits that were arbitrarily classified as bad is Puritanical and
silly. That said, I also realize that I share the planet with other
people. People that may not be as keen to share my opinions (among
other things). People that don't really want to see a strange woman's
breast, no matter what she is doing with it. Just as I have an
opinion, I understand that others will as well.

If Emily Gillete was breastfeeding in a polite and discreet way, then
she is definitely entitled to at least a public apology and possibly
compensation for her missed flight. If, however, she whipped it out
for all to share, perhaps discretion should have been the better part
of valor. I'm not saying Ms. Gillette is right, and I'm definitely
not saying she's wrong. I just don't know enough about what actually
happened to make that call. Bottom line, we have the right to do a
lot of things, breast feeding in public among them. It is our duty to
support all our rights vehemently, but that doesn't mean that we
shouldn't excercise a little etiquette as we go about it.

I'm all for breastfeeding, it's definitely the best way to feed your
child. But this whole situation is easily avoidable. Get a breast
pump, and store some of your breast milk. Then, any time you're in
public, you can just feed the baby with a bottle of your own breast
milk. Good for the baby, good for you, good for the people around you.
Everybody's happy!

I am no longer modest...having children and breast feeding I am now no
longer shy. That being said I know that I had a right to feed my
children anytime they needed it, I would try to be a discreet as
possible though.

I did find though that no matter how discreet I was I would often get
dirty looks, I did not cause trouble and did not mouth off at people,
I did my best to make it as comfortable as possible for all involved.
I would try to be as discreet as possible, sometimes it is not always
possible. I have been in a similiar situation on an airplane, I did
cover up and I still had one person complain....I simply explained to
him that I could hold off on feeding the baby and he could scream for
the WHOLE 4 hour flight or I could feed him and he would fall asleep
and sleep most of the way, after putting to him that way he was no
longer offended and just simply looked away until I was done. As for
the people who will say then breastfeed in the bathroom, please those
lavatories are so small you can barely manuver yourself, can you
imagine trying to get comfortable to feed a baby.

I do feel that there is something missing from this story. I can not
see a person getting thrown off for refusing to show some discretion,
I think more than likely they got loud and caused a ruckus, and that
made flight crew uneasy about how the flight was going to go, so they
escorted her out.

Okay, I breastfed my daughter (who is now 3) for 3 months. And I
LOVED being able to breastfeed, and the nutritional benefits to baby,
and the extra emotional attachment it fostered between my newborn and
myself.

HOWEVER, I am appalled at women who breastfeed in public with complete
disregard to those around them. I'm not saying women shouldn't
breastfeed in public - you do what you have to do. Still, as others
have mentioned, why can't some women err on the side of caution and
use a little more discretion? It definitely matters, as far as this
complaint is concerned, how much of the breast is exposed.

Even when I was breastfeeding: 1) I didn't like the whole world
being able to view my naked breasts; and 2) I HATED it when I'd be,
say, in a restaurant, and a mother would basically remove her whole
top to feed her baby. And I'm certainly no prude - my husband and I
regularly attend biker events where I've certainly seen my share of
naked breasts. But there's a time and a place for everything.

I'd really like to know exactly how exposed this woman was. And
really - even if SHE thought she was being discreet, and others around
her said she wasn't and asked her to please cover up, why wouldn't she
oblige? I know that if someone asked me to cover up while I was
breastfeeding, I would have (and been embarassed to have been so
exposed that someone commented on it to me!). No one refused to let
her breastfeed, just asked her to be more discreet about it, geez, all
this hooplah over something minor!

(But I forgot, when it comes to something that can be labelled
"women's rights" it goes from minor to controversy in 10 seconds!)

Unfortunately, without having been there none of us is really
qualified to comment one way or the other.

There was a woman in my "mommy" group down south that would purposely
pull out her breast in public to breast feed with the alterier motive
of getting someone's attention. She fed off of the attention. She
absolutely loved it when someone would ask her to leave or cover up.
She would then go on a tirade about how it was her right to do that in
public. We were standing in Gymboree one time at the mall and she
just whipped her breast out right there for everyone to see without
using a bit of discretion. Now the food court was only steps away
from the Gyboree door, but she chose to expose herself right there
knowing the possibility existed that someone might get upset.

Maybe it's just me, but I do have a hard time believing that the woman
in question was breastfeeding next to her husband fairly isolated, and
they came along and kicked her off for refusing to use an airline
blanket to cover up. Especially when every mother knows that on a
flight with an infant, you would have baby blankets handy that could
very well have been used to cover up. I really think that someone was
looking for the media attention. That of course is speculation on my
part though.

I totally agree with the point that you're trying to make, Jennifer.
In general, there are a lot of things people do in public that are
offensive to me, but we're pretty much conditioned these days that we
have to just accept it.

And yet, when a mother tries to feed her child, that's all of a sudden
a major issue?? It's a terrible double standard.

I guess I'm weird....but I was raised that in public, you do your best
to comport yourself, because not everyone around you will have the
same beliefs or lifestyles. It's just general respect.

I'd much rather be around a woman breastfeeding her baby than a woman
dressed immodestly. It's not the same thing. Breasts used for the
feeding of a child are as normal as hair growing from our head. But
flaunting breasts for attention can be quite offensive in a public
situation.

Although.....


I do think that in a confined space like that, the lady should have
had been a bit more modest. I don't think she should have had to use
those heavy airline blankets, though. While I would never be offended
or bothered by a woman breastfeeding, I know others might be, and for
modesty sake, a flowy breastfeeding blouse or light blanket are just
good manners.


Kicking her off the plane?? That's just nuts. If the airline was
thinking, they would have simply asked her to move to a location that
afforded a little more privacy, or even bumped her up to a better
seat. That way, the people complaining about the possiblity of seeing
a milky nipple flash (why are they staring anyway?) won't have to be
bothered, and the inconveninced customer is still made to feel
welcome.

I've seen enough boobs in my time that I don't give it another thought
about a woman breastfeeding. I know that when the kid is hungry, the
kid is hungry. I also believe that like a lot of things, a certain
degree of discretion can go a long way.

I do think the story is muddled however and the truth is somewhere in
the middle.