There are women who don't want to buy special nursing tops or can't afford them.
There are women who can't afford a nursing bra or find nursing bras uncomfortable or unflattering.
Babies are known to pull at their mothers' clothing or to unlatch and look around while breastfeeding.
There are all sorts of reasons why a mother might eschew a cover, a nursing bra, and a nursing wardrobe.
The right to full exposure whether by accident or because that is how you prefer to nurse is extremely important to the right to breastfeed because it specifically overrules the provisions of laws relating to indecent exposure, thus making it possible for women not to worry about exposing themselves no matter how much or hos little they expose, while breastfeeding.
Without the right to full exposure, women would effectively not be able to breastfeed.
And no, a man cannot display his genitalia in order to impress or horrify random members of the public. This is not what women are doing when they breastfeed with exposed breasts though.
Why be all militant about a problem you haven't even encountered yet. Getting excited about the possibility of suffering prejudice? Thats not right.
But she did experience discrimination, both at the wave pool and previously in a NHS hospital, no less.
By 'being all militant' do you mean exposing a full breast?
She has a right to. She is not anticipating any sort of problem.
Are women who decide to use the Pill 'being all militant'? Women once didn't have that right.
How about women having an abortion?
Women divorcing and keeping custody of their children? There was a time when children automatically stayed with their father after divorce.
How about voting? Is that militant?
It is still unusual in our society to see fully exposed breasts. We are apparently only willing to accept bare or nearly bare breasts when they are used to sell cars and other products, and get people into cinemas, and in porn. In other words, when they are pimped out and making money, usually for men. When they are used for their primary purpose, which is feeding our offspring, that is apparently something we should only do discreetly.
We need to get used to the fact that this is their primary function and we need to reclaim that. I think those women who use their right to expose breasts while breastfeeding are doing us all a favour by reminding society that this is their primary function.
Furthermore, women who do that are reminding society that what women do, legally, in public with their own bodies is their own business, and nobody has the right to interfere, to discourage, offer chairs elsewhere, or give advice to us about covering up or moving somewhere quieter, etc., while we are breastfeeding or simply walking out to the shop.
I personally think it would be nice if that message was taken to heart and my 14 yo daughter cold walk down the street without grown men leering at her chest area and making remarks, or telling her to 'smile!' or all the other intrusive shite women and girls have to put up with. In other parts of the world women are beaten by whip wielding police for not covering up. Same coin, different sides.
The idea that breastfeeding women and all women (and even girls) cannot be scrutinised and judged and second guessed when out and about and not harming anyone, just minding our own business, is an important principle.
The Equality Act is just a start in the right direction. Maybe legislation on public harassment of all women will follow. It would arrive faster if we were more militant about the problem.