Dear Heidi,

Liz Baldwin, speaking at LLLI this summer, warned us against "nurse-ins."
She said the press loves them but they can backfire because they are
confrontational.  She recommended holding a "rally" instead.  Basically it's
the same thing, although perhaps the place is in a park or other public area
near the offending place of business---not at the place of business itself.
You bring signs, you present speeches, skits, songs---whatever---and your
goal is to educate the public (and the media, the police, etc.).

The ideal is to find a solution to the problem, not to make a bad situation
worse.  The store owner stated her position pretty clearly.  Can you make up
a handout or press release that deals with her objections in a rational and
friendly way?  Here you have a person who a) thinks nursing customers are
hurting her business (this would be a legitimate gripe...if it is true), b)
feels that her right to refuse service to unwanted customers is being
infringed, and c) sounds as if she thinks breastfeeding is a best a private
act and at worst a disgusting act.  She does not agree with the law, and I
respect her right to disobey it, just as I would be ready to use civil
disobedience against a law I thought was wrong.

The nursing mom who was turned out of the store probably felt angry,
humiliated and embarrassed.  Does it do any good to anger, humiliate and
embarrass the store owner---however tempting it is to do so because you have
the law on your side?  What do you hope to accomplish with the nurse-in?  If
you hurt her business, then she can only get more upset and angry at those
militant breastfeeders!  "Nipple Nuts!"  "Lactation Loonies!"  "Belligerent
Boobs!"

I can imagine a rally near the juice bar, with a relay of people running in
and out of the bar to pick up take-out orders---and careful to leave
absolutely no litter, of course!  Flood her with business!  Have signs like
"Mommy gets thirsty when she feeds me!" or "Babies get thirsty too!" or
"Mommy loves juice and I love Mommy-juice!" for the babies.  Bring sun hats
and umbrellas/parasols (great for hanging signs on) and even folding lawn
chairs (as long as they do not break regulations about not blocking
sidewalks) to make the point that it's a hardship not to be able to take your
baby inside.  Be sure everyone is MEGA-discreet about how they nurse.  In
other words, comply with the store owner's position but push it to a
ridiculous conclusion.  Demonstrate by your actions that the store management
is placing an undue (and unfair) burden on nursing mothers by insisting that
they can't feed or comfort their babies in the juice bar.  But don't boycott,
don't tell others not to patronize the bar, in fact, make it a record day of
business for her.

Your handout and/or press release are really important.  The purpose of
breastfeeding laws like your state's new one is to encourage more
breastfeeding, by reducing a perceived barrier that keeps many women from
nursing or from continuing to nurse.  So you want a one-pager with clear,
quotable statements about the health and economic value of
breastfeeding---value that benefits everybody in the community, because
healthier mothers and babies, and more money to spend on things besides
formula and health care, are good for all of us.

Your target audience is really the other patrons that the juice bar owners
think they'll lose if women breastfeed in their bar.  They are the ones you
want to get on your side.  You don't want to alienate bottle-feeding women or
men or grandmothers or childless people or kids---that's why you make it
light-hearted and fun.  The best outcome of the day would be for LOTS of
their regular customers to tell them, "Hey, it doesn't bother me if they want
to breastfeed their babies in here."  But I think I'd avoid making a big
thing of polling people about their opinion---after all, you could lose, even
though you're starting with an advantage of 50!

Y'know...I never did understand why not wearing a shirt or shoes was a health
risk to other customers!  I think it's just one of those rules they have so
they can throw you out if they don't like your behavior.

Good luck.  I wish I could be there!  Take lots of pictures.

Chris

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