As someone who has attended way too many bf and public health conferences
in both sweaty heat and humidity and fridged cold, I want to know why the
heck the Pacific Northwest is overlooked by conference planners?  Yes, it
does rain here, but our weather is rarely hot and humid (in fact in
virtually never rains in Oregon from the end of June through the end of
Sept--as my water bill can attest) and we don't get mountains of snow or
many days below freezing.  I understand the need to "attract" people with
glamourous site seeing, but really aren't we going to these for the
continuing ed?  (We do have beautiful coast lines, wonderful skiing,
vineyards beginning to rival Napa, and lots of other wonders).  And, I
might add, we here in the PNW don't have nearly the amount of political
conflict as is arising with the Disney issue.

Yes, LLLI does have a tremendous positive impact on the world, but as a
former Leader (and both LLLI and Oregon administrative position holder),
current member, current breastfeeder, and aware citizen of this planet, I
cannot in good conscience attend a conference with this type of conflict.
No, I will not do anything to harm LLLI's reputation, but I cannot endorse
this decision either.  I might add that the American Public Health
Association has dealt with this particular issue concerning hotels that
bust unions.  The APHA actively seeks out pro-collective bargaining
conference centers and hotels for its 13,000 attendee conferences.  This is
no small feat, but APHA is a non-profit as well.

So, for what it is worth...there's my 2 cents.  We all need to live with
ourselves, but we need to be educated to make truly informed decisions.
Remember that there is a difference between guilt and regret...knowledge
and power play a big part.
Chris

 Chris Hafner-Eaton, PhD, MPH, CHES, IBCLC   email: [log in to unmask]
                HSR & Health Educational Consultant