New breastfeeding laws, please sign the petition

[GreenMonkies]

The new law is ONLY valid until the child is six months of age.

At any time beyond that, a woman breastfeeding in public can be charged with INDECENCY. Yes, you read that right. In a culture of page three girls and pornographic magazines visible in shops where children can see women's breasts being exploited for sexual gratification and lust, women who meet their child's biological needs in public will be considered criminals

petitions.pm.gov.uk/breastfedright/

Sign it and pass it on!!!

Monkies

[cupsoftea]

I'll email my mp & ask what he's going to do about this

[cupsoftea]

I'll email the pm as well

[lackaDAISYcal]

signed

[cornflakegirl]

signed

[chatname]

Does anyone know when this breastfeeding legislation - as it stands - is due to come in?

[mummypig]

I've signed.

The last I read was that the Equality Bill was due to be presented to Parliament in November 2008. I clearly don't know my way around the appropriate websites as I have only read about this 6 months limit on a few blogs, and it would be good to see it in the text of the actual draft bill. If anyone knows other helpful sites e.g with the draft bill, or with a link for responding to the plans, I'd be interested to see them.

[charchargabor]

signed

[Amphibimum]

signed

[memoo]

can i just point out that the bit of the Law that states that 'a woman breastfeeding in public can be charged with INDECENCY' has always been in place, its not a new thing, although nobody has ever been charged.

The new law means that now a women can't be charged if her baby is under 6 months. to be honest it is a step in the right direction although of course it doesn't go far enough, a women should be able to feed her baby in public for as long as she wants (within reason)

[lardybump]

signed

[memoo]

small white cat, i know its unbelivable but at the moment it really is true

[liath]

I was so diasppointed at the 6 month limit, almost makes it worse than having no law at all. Thank goodness I live in Scotland.

[ScaryHairy]

Can someone point me in the direction of the bit of law that says that a woman breastfeeding her baby can be charged with indecency?

I am told that the indecent exposure laws relate to exposure of the genitals, which does not include breasts.

Memoo, I don't think that the article you've linked to says that a woman breastfeeding her child could be charged with indecency.

[memoo]

scary, in the first paragraph its says

""At present, women can face prosecution under public order or indecency laws if they nurse their babies in public""

[Ecmo]

oh I read that as breastfeeding INLAWS thought perhaps someones inlaw was offering to bf for them!

[memoo]

ecmo!! now that would be an interfering MIL

[ScaryHairy]

Aha, thanks, missed it.
But I would not be surprised if they have it wrong (as papers often do when talking about laws IME).

Certainly if there is such a law it isn't one my local police (who claim to be able to do nothing about an agressive boob-flasher believe it or not) seem to be aware of.

[BouncingTurtle]

I'm with SWC I'm afraid - there are no laws against breastfeeding and never have been.
What this new bit of leglislation does is protect mums from harrassment and discrimination. But I agree that it doesn't go far enough, to put an age limit on it is ridiculous! Esepcially as the weaning guidelines are now 6mth, err I'm pretty sure that the second your baby turns 6 mths it doesn't decide it doesn't need any more boob!
So this week if someone tries to stop be feeding my son I can have them prosecuted, but next week I can't (he turns 6mo on Friday).

[memoo]

if there is no law against breast feeding in public why would the government say that they are bringing in new legislation that means that is will be ok to breast feed in publc for the first six months?

[Bumperlicious]

I object to this law even needing to exist in this country.

Not only shouldn't we need it, but it puts a really bad slant on bfing, especially when people don't really understand the law.