> But I don't think
>it's necessary to gag when someone makes a comment that implies that breasts
>might also be sexually attractive. I breastfed my son for 18 months.  That
>doesn't mean that my husband doesn't also enjoy them at different times.  If
>Doraine, who has done a lot of hard work for WIC and for World Breastfeeding
>Week, wants to work out and wear a bikini, more power to her.

I wouldn't describe my reaction as "gagging."  I stand my ground, though.

BECAUSE promoting breasts as sex objects in the general culture leads to
decreases in the health of mothers and children because (a) women don't
learn that breasts can make milk and (b) women are embarrassed to go
anywhere in public with a breastfeeding baby, so that breastfeeding becomes
very confining, (c) women are embarrassed to nurse in front of any visitors
to their home and so must stay in the bedroom with the baby, and (d) women
are embarrassed to pump at work because of rude/lewd comments by co-workers,
and . . .

BECAUSE promoting breasts as sex objects in the general culture leads to
many thousands of young women feeling that their bodies are not adequate,
leading to low self-esteem and distorted body images and feelings of
depression, and . . .

BECAUSE promoting breasts as sex objects in the general culture leads to
many thousands of young women having their bodies sliced open and bags of
silicon, saline, or soy bean oil inserted to make them more "attractive and
sexy," and . . .

BECAUSE promoting breasts as sex objects encourages men of all ages to judge
the value of women based on their physical bodies rather than their worth as
human beings . . . .

For all of these reasons, if women care about the physical and mental health
of women and children, they should take a stand against the promotion of
breasts as sex objects EVEN IF IT MEANS NOT STRUTTING THEIR STUFF IN BIKINIS
TO ATTRACT THE ATTENTION OF STRANGERS, AND EVEN IF IT MEANS FINDING SOME
OTHER WAY TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES AS HUMAN BEINGS.

As I suggested in my first post about this, I suggest that women think long
and hard about the message they are sending when they promote breasts as sex
objects, and what the long-term consequences of those messages are for their
daughters, their sons, their sisters, their friends, and their neighbors.
Perhaps when you realize that damage caused by this CULTURAL practice, you
will change your mind about thinking it is harmless.