Well, I must say I'm quite amazed at the response my *request* that people
not protest Disney/Nestle at the LLLI conference in Orlando has generated.
Heavy-handed?  Give me a break.

Magda writes:
>If we cannot comment on how breastfeeding advocacy is perceived by the wider
>public, and on the actions of fellow advocates/supporters/promoters which may
>influence the perceptions of the wider public -- I start to see warning
signals.

But Magda, this is *exactly* what I was doing, commenting on how
breastfeeding advocacy is perceived by the wider public, pointing out to
people that it will HARM LLLI and therefore HARM breastfeeding advocacy in
this country if people EXPLOIT the LLLI conference by using it to protest
the Nestle/Disney's relationship.  I was commenting on the actions of fellow
advocates that may influence the perceptions of the wider public.  I'm baffled.

>Is it only members who have a stake in an organisation such as LLLI?

No, it isn't only the members of LLLI.  I am NOT a member of LLLI, nor am I
on the Board of Directors.  I am on the Health Professional Advisory Board.
ANYONE who truly cares about breastfeeding will not like the consequences of
LLLI getting a lot of negative publicity if there are protests against
Disney during their conference.  No matter how much spin-control they do, no
matter how much they tell the media that the protests were not orchestrated
by them, it will reflect badly on them.

>And if the members have a stake is their only option to agree with every
decision coming from the centre?

No, of course the members don't have to agree with every decision.  They can
write letters to the board of directors, they can boycott the conference,
heck, they can cancel their membership and/or whatever other forms of
support they give.  That's not the point.

The point is that people should think long and hard about the bottom-line --
what impact will a protest at Disney World during the LLLI conference have
on breastfeeding in the US and the world, and what impact will it have on
the perceptions of non-supporters about breastfeeding supporters??

I also must add that the veiled homophobic remarks concerning "other Disney
policies" are offensive to me (and no doubt to others) and have no relevance
to breastfeeding and no place on LactNet, in my ever-so-humble-opinion.

Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nutrition
Texas A&M University