http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15720339/


Updated: 3:16 p.m. AKT Nov 14, 2006

BURLINGTON, Vt. - A woman who claims she was kicked off an airplane because she was breast-feeding her baby has filed a complaint against two airlines, her attorney said.

Emily Gillette, 27, of Santa Fe, N.M., filed the complaint with the Vermont Human Rights Commission late last week against Delta Air Lines and Freedom Airlines, said her attorney, Elizabeth Boepple. Freedom was operating the Delta flight between Burlington and New York City.

Gillette said she was discreetly breast-feeding her 22-month-old daughter on Oct. 13 as their flight prepared to leave Burlington International Airport. She said she was seated by the window in the next-to-last row, her husband was seated between her and the aisle and no part of her breast was showing.

A flight attendant tried to hand her a blanket and told her to cover up, Gillette said. She declined, telling the flight attendant she had a legal right to breast-feed her baby.

Moments later, a Delta ticket agent approached and said the flight attendant had asked that the family be removed from the flight, Gillette said. She said she didn’t want to make a scene and complied.

“It embarrassed me. That was my first reaction, which is a weird reaction for doing something so good for a child,” Gillette said Monday.

A Freedom spokesman said Gillette was asked to leave the flight after she declined the blanket.

“A breast-feeding mother is perfectly acceptable on an aircraft, providing she is feeding the child in a discreet way,” that doesn’t bother others, said Paul Skellon, spokesman for Phoenix-based Freedom. “She was asked to use a blanket just to provide a little more discretion, she was given a blanket, and she refused to use it, and that’s all I know.”

A complaint against two airlines was filed with the Vermont Human Rights Commission, although Executive Director Robert Appel said he was barred by state law from confirming the complaint. He said state law allows a mother to breast-feed in public.

The Vermont Human Rights Commission investigates complaints and determines whether discrimination may have occurred. The parties to a complaint are given six months to reach a settlement. If none is reached, the commission then decides whether to go to court. A complainant can file a separate suit in state court at any time.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Isn't that freaking ridiculous?
:gaah

That is stupid! :banghead

That pisses me off! The airline blankets are too hot to use to cover up a baby. I've used them before and it was nearly unbearable. I hope she kicks some butt.

I still don't get what bothers people so much about seeing a woman feeding her baby? Oh geez, you see half a boob, you friggin see more on TV everyday!

I can not believe that!!!! So what people would now have mothers starve thier children than breastfeed them in public?? :vent :vent :vent

I still don't get what bothers people so much about seeing a woman feeding her baby? Oh geez, you see half a boob, you friggin see more on TV everyday!

Exactly! I hope she gets that bloodsucker airline :yes

This is not the first time a women has been asked to cover up OR kicked off a plane/out of stores. it is really sad how AMERICA is!:mad

That's rediculous.

Ok I don't have a problem with a woman breast feeding but she can't say it was her "baby" cause a 22 month old is not a "baby"
JMO

Oh wow I didn't even see that, is it normal to still breast feed at 22months?

YES!! WHO(world health organization) recommends at least 2 years. Trent is almost 15 months and still BF'ing.

Different cultures have different customs regarding how long children are breast-fed. In some cultures breast-feeding continues for several years, while other cultures only breast-feed for a couple of months.

That is sad.. that is why so many mothers choose not to bf their babies. Nathan won't bf AT ALL if I'm trying to cover him up with a blanket! I'm surprised the La Leche league didn't stage a nurse in. They do those every time an issue like that arises here in Vegas :thumbsup

There are fewer women here in the states that BF a 2 year old than there are that don't.
No way in hell would I have a kid that has a mouth full of teeth latched on to my boob.
And yes I did BF!

And I truely believe that when people see a 2-4 year old latched on to a boob they are uncomfortable, but ok with a "baby"
I mean this could come down to the same thing where people consider pics of a "baby" 1 yr or under naked and call it Porn and the others who call it a harmless "baby" pic.
So there are two sides to everything

There are fewer women here in the states that BF a 2 year old than there are that don't.
No way in hell would I have a kid that has a mouth full of teeth latched on to my boob.
And yes I did BF!

does that mean the airlines did the right thing?

That is just plain Dumb.

Jill I don't know either way someone is offended
but does a developer do the right thing by calling the police when they see a naked baby in a pic just cause the kid is naked?

Jill I don't know either way someone is offended
but does a developer do the right thing by calling the police when they see a naked baby in a pic just cause the kid is naked?

how is taking pictures of naked babies the same as providing nutrients for a baby? i am not understanding your connection.

I agree on both sides...it sucks that she got kicked off for breastfeeding but I can see how breastfeeding a 2 yr old would make people uncomfortable. She was offered a blanket which would have made the situation go away. I know she was standing up for her right to breastfeed but just like she got uncomfortable with being asked to cover up, people were probably uncomfortable with her breastfeeding a child that age. I'm thinking it's the age of the child and not the actual breastfeeding that made people uncomfortable.

how is taking pictures of naked babies the same as providing nutrients for a baby? i am not understanding your connection.

I didn't say jack about nutrients I said people being offended!

I agree on both sides...it sucks that she got kicked off for breastfeeding but I can see how breastfeeding a 2 yr old would make people uncomfortable. She was offered a blanket which would have made the situation go away. I know she was standing up for her right to breastfeed but just like she got uncomfortable with being asked to cover up, people were probably uncomfortable with her breastfeeding a child that age. I'm thinking it's the age of the child and not the actual breastfeeding that made people uncomfortable.

thank you that is what I was saying
ANd it I haven't seen anything that PROVES it is that benefitial to breastfeed for that long. Cuase for everything says it is you will find another that says it isn't

I personally think that after the age of one, children can recieve all of thier nutrients from regular food as long as it's healthy and nutritious/ I know there are some that continue to breastfeed until past the 1 yr mark which is fine (I was breastfed until I was almost 2) but here in the US it's not as accepted and that's where you have cases like these. I mean the airline did show some consideration but I'm thinking a more than one person complained for them to be removed from the plane completely.

I agree, breast milk is beneficial and it's full of nutrients but so is regular food and I know there's a bond there, but you can have the same bond by cuddling with your child and reading a book or taking an hour out of your day to just concentrate on your child. I know we all have our opinions about this subject and that's mine.

I personally think that after the age of one, children can recieve all of thier nutrients from regular food as long as it's healthy and nutritious/ I know there are some that continue to breastfeed until past the 1 yr mark which is fine (I was breastfed until I was almost 2) but here in the US it's not as accepted and that's where you have cases like these. I mean the airline did show some consideration but I'm thinking a more than one person complained for them to be removed from the plane completely.

I agree, breast milk is beneficial and it's full of nutrients but so is regular food and I know there's a bond there, but you can have the same bond by cuddling with your child and reading a book or taking an hour out of your day to just concentrate on your child. I know we all have our opinions about this subject and that's mine.

Very well said :yes

OK, from my understanding of the article.....clearly it was the flight attendant who had the problem....I didn't see anything about other passengers complaining.
She has a legal right to breasfeed her baby, no matter how old the child is. If it makes people that uncomfortable, then they shouldn't look. Simple as that.

Where as I personally wouldn't BF an almost two year old, that's her choice and I think it's a BS reason for her to be kicked off of an airline. It's her choice and RIGHT to breastfeed the child, I don't care if it made someone squeamy. She wasn't in the middle of the aisle making everyone look at her or exposing herself.

OK, from my understanding of the article.....clearly it was the flight attendant who had the problem....I didn't see anything about other passengers complaining.
She has a legal right to breasfeed her baby, no matter how old the child is. If it makes people that uncomfortable, then they shouldn't look. Simple as that.

No it isn't that simple if you are on a plane you are in a closed in space you can't really get away from it.
If we want to get technical she could have went to the bath room to do it , oh but wait it was a child that could walk and talk so she would say there wasn't any room since it wasn't a "baby"
Yes she has her right to breastfeed but others have the right to not be forced to see it happening

WTF!! what has this world come to?

Where as I personally wouldn't BF an almost two year old, that's her choice and I think it's a BS reason for her to be kicked off of an airline. It's her choice and RIGHT to breastfeed the child, I don't care if it made someone squeamy. She wasn't in the middle of the aisle making everyone look at her or exposing herself.

My feelings exactly.

When I read the headline I thought to myself "there's got to be more to the story..." and now having read the article, I see that it's just a bunch of crap. As was previously said, I agree that the flight attendant was the one offended here. It shouldn't matter if her child was 2 months old or 22 months old. I wouldn't want a mouthful of teeth on my boob either, but it's her child, her decision, and her right. I won't judge her for bf'ing a 22 month old just because I wouldn't personally do it, and no way would I say that anyone else has a right to judge her either.

I'd like to follow this story and see how it all turns out.

No it isn't that simple if you are on a plane you are in a closed in space you can't really get away from it.
If we want to get technical she could have went to the bath room to do it , oh but wait it was a child that could walk and talk so she would say there wasn't any room since it wasn't a "baby"
Yes she has her right to breastfeed but others have the right to not be forced to see it happening

Oh, well, I wasn't aware that people were being FORCED to look in that direction while she was doing it....:rolleyes
I didn't realize that lawfully there is a certain age you have to stop breastfeeding because it offends other people....yeah...thanks for clearing that up. :lol
If she wants to sit on an airplane with a 5 year old attached to her chest, then that's HER business....nobody HAS to look....if it makes people that uncomfortable MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS! If they continue to look and be digusted, they must be engaging in some kind of self-torture, and THEY'RE the ones who need help. :screwy

she has a right to bf her child NO MATTER WHAT AGE...just because I dont agree with bf'ing a older child (and by the way, I just weaned my 18mo.) doesnt mean what she was doing was wrong...the airline is in the wrong plain and simple...THAT IS THE LAW

That really sucks for her. I can't believe they kicked her off the plane. I personally wouldn't be breastfeeding a 22 month old but oh well that's her choice. BTW NO I didn't breastfeed didn't have a choice I didn't produce.

i hope she sucks every last dime out of the airline. dumb ass bitch telling her to get off. i would've been forceably take me off. i would've made a scene

i hope she sucks every last dime out of the airline. dumb ass bitch telling her to get off. i would've been forceably take me off. i would've made a scene

I agree I would have made a scene they would have to remove me b/c I wouldn't have left on my own that's for sure!!

its like a t.v. show or song if you are offended by it CHANGE THE CHANNEL if you are offended by someone doing something whether it be sucking face, dressed obscenely, etc don't look

of course there are exceptions i.e. someone practically having sex in the middle of a hill...anyway...:teehee

Thats so sad! Yes 22 months isn't technically a "baby" anymore but that doesn't mean she doesn't have the right to noruish her child as long as she is able to prodcue norishment. I would have made a scene too. When iwas bf'ing my youngest i was always worried about the possible confortation.....its a shame it has to be like that....which is ANOTHER reason it turns people away from doing it.

If it's her culture to breastfeed her child until a certain age then whose business is it to say she's wrong?

I think the underlying problem is that certain people get offended too easily if it's something they don't condone :yes.

people can kiss my ass. when/if i can bf i sure as hell will do it where and when i please. i'm not talking about whipping out the entire boob but doing it discreetly whenever and wherever (minus church b/c i feel that is disrespectful being in the house of the lord--i mean in the pew and all) i damn please

people can kiss my ass. when/if i can bf i sure as hell will do it where and when i please. i'm not talking about whipping out the entire boob but doing it discreetly whenever and wherever (minus church b/c i feel that is disrespectful being in the house of the lord--i mean in the pew and all) i damn please

i totally understand what you are saying but remember Jesus was breasfed also!!:wink

:lol jill your great

AND she's right!!! :rofl

absolutely!!!

Ok I don't have a problem with a woman breast feeding but she can't say it was her "baby" cause a 22 month old is not a "baby"
JMO

I agree. I had to read that twice and then count...lol. I know thats pretty bad.

That is ridiculous! I would have made a scene!

even though I woulnd't BF a kid that old... it's still her right.

It really disturbs me that people (especially women) put breastfeeding on the same level as “obscene acts” (i.e. in a sexual manner, from kissing, to exposing yourself, sex, etc.). I have failed to understand why the breast is so offensive. I hate to sound like a feminist but I honestly think it can be applied here. We have been taught that the human body is for nothing more than sexual satisfaction which has also led to the human body being “taboo”. The breast has a function and that function is to feed a child. That is its sole purpose. Our culture has turned it into a sexual object (much like the bodies of women in general). The female form has long been the object of desire, thus made to be hidden and kept “discreet” so as not to “tempt” males that pass by them. We have passed this on to our children (myself included) and now we are “offended” when a woman breastfeeds and its just ridiculous and unacceptable in my opinion. I honestly think that offense taken by feeding a child signifies your own issues that should be dealt with. I only nursed until 9 months and probably wouldn’t ever go past a year because I personally would wean them off the bottle at this time anyway. I have been uncomfortable with seeing a woman breastfeed her 5 year old and had to re-evaluate why I felt that way. I came to the conclusion that my uneasiness made absolutely no sense. Who am I to say that a child should not be breastfed in certain areas or that they should be a certain age. Your child was meant to be nourished by you. If you don’t choose this or can’t, that is fine. We have progressed and are now able to feed our children by other means but our children were in fact, intended to feed from the mother. What really is so offensive about the breast? My conclusion was “nothing”. You should not have to cover up at all, just as you would not cover up an infant with a bottle. Breastfeeding is not offensive, the breast itself is not offensive. We make it offensive by holding it on a sexual level. Most believe that anything relating to sex is offensive. Most believe that the breast is sexual in nature. I think we need to focus on teaching more respect for the human body (particularly the body of a woman) and not equating it to just a sexual object. People put so much time and energy into being “offended” when it could be better spent being more tolerable. Who are you to say what is right or wrong, especially in this instance. Other cultures think of the body in a very matter of fact way. They are not ashamed, they do not cover up, they are certainly not “offended” and breastfeeding is seen as just that….feeding. There are so many other real issues that need to be deal other than why you feel uncomfortable seeing a child nurse. Someone brought up a very good point about seeing more on television these days. Stop wasting your time being “offended” at a partially exposed breast (or even a fully exposed breast) in relation to a child being fed and direct your offense towards the soft porn on regular television, music videos with 30-40 women in thongs and barely there bikinis shakin/bouncin/grindin their a$$ on 1-2 men. Be offended by the way your pre-teen and teen daughters are being marketed to with sexual undertones left and right. Be offended that woman and girls are in videos being led on a dog collar with basically no clothes. Be offended by men exposing their genitals in public to every man woman and child. Now those are some things to be “offended” by. You should probably feel a little “uncomfortable” with that one. I respect everyone’s opinion, however, you still have to be open to the idea that your opinion in not universal to all.

:yes Very, VERY well said. Thank you. :thumbsup

It really disturbs me that people (especially women) put breastfeeding on the same level as “obscene acts” (i.e. in a sexual manner, from kissing, to exposing yourself, sex, etc.). I have failed to understand why the breast is so offensive. I hate to sound like a feminist but I honestly think it can be applied here. We have been taught that the human body is for nothing more than sexual satisfaction which has also led to the human body being “taboo”. The breast has a function and that function is to feed a child. That is its sole purpose. Our culture has turned it into a sexual object (much like the bodies of women in general). The female form has long been the object of desire, thus made to be hidden and kept “discreet” so as not to “tempt” males that pass by them. We have passed this on to our children (myself included) and now we are “offended” when a woman breastfeeds and its just ridiculous and unacceptable in my opinion. I honestly think that offense taken by feeding a child signifies your own issues that should be dealt with. I only nursed until 9 months and probably wouldn’t ever go past a year because I personally would wean them off the bottle at this time anyway. I have been uncomfortable with seeing a woman breastfeed her 5 year old and had to re-evaluate why I felt that way. I came to the conclusion that my uneasiness made absolutely no sense. Who am I to say that a child should not be breastfed in certain areas or that they should be a certain age. Your child was meant to be nourished by you. If you don’t choose this or can’t, that is fine. We have progressed and are now able to feed our children by other means but our children were in fact, intended to feed from the mother. What really is so offensive about the breast? My conclusion was “nothing”. You should not have to cover up at all, just as you would not cover up an infant with a bottle. Breastfeeding is not offensive, the breast itself is not offensive. We make it offensive by holding it on a sexual level. Most believe that anything relating to sex is offensive. Most believe that the breast is sexual in nature. I think we need to focus on teaching more respect for the human body (particularly the body of a woman) and not equating it to just a sexual object. People put so much time and energy into being “offended” when it could be better spent being more tolerable. Who are you to say what is right or wrong, especially in this instance. Other cultures think of the body in a very matter of fact way. They are not ashamed, they do not cover up, they are certainly not “offended” and breastfeeding is seen as just that….feeding. There are so many other real issues that need to be deal other than why you feel uncomfortable seeing a child nurse. Someone brought up a very good point about seeing more on television these days. Stop wasting your time being “offended” at a partially exposed breast (or even a fully exposed breast) in relation to a child being fed and direct your offense towards the soft porn on regular television, music videos with 30-40 women in thongs and barely there bikinis shakin/bouncin/grindin their a$$ on 1-2 men. Be offended by the way your pre-teen and teen daughters are being marketed to with sexual undertones left and right. Be offended that woman and girls are in videos being led on a dog collar with basically no clothes. Be offended by men exposing their genitals in public to every man woman and child. Now those are some things to be “offended” by. You should probably feel a little “uncomfortable” with that one. I respect everyone’s opinion, however, you still have to be open to the idea that your opinion in not universal to all.

It really disturbs me that people (especially women) put breastfeeding on the same level as “obscene acts” (i.e. in a sexual manner, from kissing, to exposing yourself, sex, etc.). I have failed to understand why the breast is so offensive. I hate to sound like a feminist but I honestly think it can be applied here. We have been taught that the human body is for nothing more than sexual satisfaction which has also led to the human body being “taboo”. The breast has a function and that function is to feed a child. That is its sole purpose. Our culture has turned it into a sexual object (much like the bodies of women in general). The female form has long been the object of desire, thus made to be hidden and kept “discreet” so as not to “tempt” males that pass by them. We have passed this on to our children (myself included) and now we are “offended” when a woman breastfeeds and its just ridiculous and unacceptable in my opinion. I honestly think that offense taken by feeding a child signifies your own issues that should be dealt with. I only nursed until 9 months and probably wouldn’t ever go past a year because I personally would wean them off the bottle at this time anyway. I have been uncomfortable with seeing a woman breastfeed her 5 year old and had to re-evaluate why I felt that way. I came to the conclusion that my uneasiness made absolutely no sense. Who am I to say that a child should not be breastfed in certain areas or that they should be a certain age. Your child was meant to be nourished by you. If you don’t choose this or can’t, that is fine. We have progressed and are now able to feed our children by other means but our children were in fact, intended to feed from the mother. What really is so offensive about the breast? My conclusion was “nothing”. You should not have to cover up at all, just as you would not cover up an infant with a bottle. Breastfeeding is not offensive, the breast itself is not offensive. We make it offensive by holding it on a sexual level. Most believe that anything relating to sex is offensive. Most believe that the breast is sexual in nature. I think we need to focus on teaching more respect for the human body (particularly the body of a woman) and not equating it to just a sexual object. People put so much time and energy into being “offended” when it could be better spent being more tolerable. Who are you to say what is right or wrong, especially in this instance. Other cultures think of the body in a very matter of fact way. They are not ashamed, they do not cover up, they are certainly not “offended” and breastfeeding is seen as just that….feeding. There are so many other real issues that need to be deal other than why you feel uncomfortable seeing a child nurse. Someone brought up a very good point about seeing more on television these days. Stop wasting your time being “offended” at a partially exposed breast (or even a fully exposed breast) in relation to a child being fed and direct your offense towards the soft porn on regular television, music videos with 30-40 women in thongs and barely there bikinis shakin/bouncin/grindin their a$$ on 1-2 men. Be offended by the way your pre-teen and teen daughters are being marketed to with sexual undertones left and right. Be offended that woman and girls are in videos being led on a dog collar with basically no clothes. Be offended by men exposing their genitals in public to every man woman and child. Now those are some things to be “offended” by. You should probably feel a little “uncomfortable” with that one. I respect everyone’s opinion, however, you still have to be open to the idea that your opinion in not universal to all.

Thank you! If people are offended by her bf her kid then they ought to stay away from the Pacific islands. I was raised on an island and people there don't give a rat's ass about bf. They have tolerance and they realize that there's better things to fret about then a woman bf..:yes

Ok I don't have a problem with a woman breast feeding but she can't say it was her "baby" cause a 22 month old is not a "baby"
JMO

I'm with you on this one.

Bravo Dollface!!!!:yeehaw I for one could not imagine seeing something that I did not agree with and complain to someone about it.:no

i think if you personally disagree with something that is your business or if it makes you uncomfortable that's your business. however if you make a big ass scene and embarass the woman because you are uncomfortable that is wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'd be uncomfortable seeing a woman bf a 5 year old but i wouldn't pitch a fit and cause a scene because i was uncomfortable with it. i'd walk away and that'd be the end of it

That's insane...how assanine!

what i said or the story? sorry i'm having a blonde day

what i said or the story? sorry i'm having a blonde day

Oh, sorry, the story! :giggle You replied as soon as I did so I didn't see what you wrote :hugs

:rolleyes Oh, well, I wasn't aware that people were being FORCED to look in that direction while she was doing it....:rolleyes
I didn't realize that lawfully there is a certain age you have to stop breastfeeding because it offends other people....yeah...thanks for clearing that up. :lol
If she wants to sit on an airplane with a 5 year old attached to her chest, then that's HER business....nobody HAS to look....if it makes people that uncomfortable MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS! If they continue to look and be digusted, they must be engaging in some kind of self-torture, and THEY'RE the ones who need help. :screwy

I didn't say that anyone was MADE to look at her but it is a tight space you know.:rolleyes
And I gave an example of how people are offended of different things. I can't wait to hear more about this cause I bet more than the flight attendant was offended but what ever.
I said way back in this thread that I didn't agree but with what ever out come someone would be offended and obviously this time it was the mother!!