When Dutch airline KLM says it may ask nursing mothers to cover themselves if passengers object, misogyny is winningWell, I for one welcome the news: as of this week, anybody asked to cover up while breastfeeding on a KLM flight can now walk, bare-breasted, across the plane, milk firing into the air, their baby howling at their shoulder, and immediately hand that screaming, hungry, suffering child to the person who made the complaint, who must then look after that baby for the entirety of the journey while the previously breastfeeding passenger lies back, watches a film, reads their book, has a glass of wine or enjoys a much-needed nap.Because, my friends, that is precisely what I would do if someone asked me to cover myself while breastfeeding. This week, the Dutch airline KLM garnered a lactic tonne of deserved criticism after it put out a tweet stating that `to ensure that all our passengers of all backgrounds feel comfortable on board, we may request a mother to cover herself while breastfeeding, should other passengers be offended by this`. This was itself a response to one customerīs complaint, posted on Facebook, that she had been asked by a flight attendant to cover herself with a blanket - you know, like an actual fire - while breastfeeding her baby because someone else on the plane had complained.We`re talking about western patriarchy under which a breast is often interpreted as a something solely erotic Related: KLM tells breastfeeding women they may be asked to cover up Continue reading...
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