Breastfeeding - should I say something?

[MotherWol]

I got an email today from a company that makes breast pumps looking for participants in their product research. I can’t quite articulate why but the attempt to use inclusive language is really jarring. It feels like they can’t face the fact that breastfeeding is predominantly a women-only activity, and are having linguistic contortions in order to be trans-inclusive. Given that the proportion of pregnancies among people who don’t identify as women is in single-digits, why can’t breastfeeding mothers be the primary focus of a company that sells breast pumps? Is it worth saying something or should I not bother?

So they make breast pumps, but they're interested in hearing from men who identify (today) as women but who obviously aren't mothers..?

The world's gone mad. Unhelpful.

I think I'd email and say 'you've lost me as a potential research participant due to your women-alienating language and bending-over backwards trying to shoehorn trans-identifying males into a clearly female-only category i.e. women with breasts that can produce milk for their offspring.'

But put better

I think it's worth saying something if you want to take the time. I fit their criteria but wouldn't bother participating due to how off-putting the language is.

They've got that one completely arse over tit haven't they?

They use women in their introductory sentence. Blasphemer!

They use "identify as women" therefore excluding transmen and non-binary people with lactating breasts (excuse tortuous language)

If they're genuinely wanting to include transwomen who are attempting to lactate (grim), then they're still excluding the groups above.

Wokefail.

I doubt the people who are chestfeeding are identifying as mothers.

What a mangling of terms.

You've redacted but I'd love to know what company this is to warn people off buying from them!

That's an appallingly worded email, both the trans stuff and the composition in general.

Doesn't come over at all professional or welcoming or even actually inclusive.

It comes over as amateurish, painfully woke, off putting and excluding!

We have WOEFULLY poor levels of breastfeeding in this country for a number of reasons but things like this won't bloody help!

Please email them and tell them to get a bloody grip and serve the MAJORITY of their customers which will be WOMEN in dire need of support, understanding and inclusion.

Who uses chest feeding? Is it TM who don't like to use the word breast or TW attempting to lactate?!?!

@HBGKC

I think I'd email and say 'you've lost me as a potential research participant due to your women-alienating language and bending-over backwards trying to shoehorn trans-identifying males into a clearly female-only category i.e. women with breasts that can produce milk for their offspring.'

But put better

No no! Put it exactly like that

I'm getting beyond sick of this now.

@Graphista it’s Chiaro, they make the Elvie breast pump

They've tried to go 'inclusive' and failed, since their only universal criteria is to identify as a woman. But the people this sort of language is supposed to 'include' are people who CAN potentially breastfeed but DO NOT identity as women. So not only is this stupid and offensive to many of their potential customers, they've also cocked it up what they were supposed to be achieving.

I think if they’d worded it more along the lines of “we’re looking for women who are/are not currently breastfeeding, and we’d also love to hear from trans/NB parents too” it wouldn’t have been so jarring, but it’s the way they’ve cocked it up that’s wound me up. It’s possible to write inclusively without excluding your core demographic!

Just goes to show, I think, that a lot of people parrot this kind of language without actually understanding what they are saying or why they are supposed to be saying it. It's just a fear of offending, but they haven't really got a clue. Not that they apparently give a shit about offending women by lumping them in with male people trying to induce lactation with artificial hormones. Though as I say I don't think they've actually thought it through at all.

So basically they want to hear from anyone 35+ who identifies as a woman, regardless of whether they've ever breastfed or has children?

Surely they'd get a better consensus from, you know, mothers?

So a man who identifies as a woman and has (on II) never breastfed is a potential participant?

Why? Just……why?

Chestfeeding??
Is this a thing?

@NatriumChloride

Chestfeeding?? Is this a thing?

Yes. Because (although men have breasts) apparently it's "triggering" to mention breastfeeding

(Feeding from the breasts. That you have on your chest. That is a non-gendered/sexed organ despite the differences in appearance between the sexes, although women with small breasts are still women, and men with gynecomastasia are still men.)

Exactly, according to their criteria, they'd want to include a 50 year old male person who (obviously) has never breastfed and never will but not a 28 year old female person who is currently breastfeeding a child but who identifies as non-binary.

It was written by an idiot who is not even fluent in modern gender ideology but thinks they have to make some reference to it because they know enough to know that ignoring it is blasphemous.

Please share the full name/contact details of this ridiculous study so we can all email in.

Off topic but instead of breast cancer is it now chest cancer? Honestly the mess these companies and charities have got themselves into!

I don’t have a clue as to who can complete the survey - it reads as if everyone over 35 can! Pointless.

No, chest cancer is already a thing. utswmed.org/conditions-treatments/chest-cancer/

(By already a thing I mean it's a distinct disease rather than a euphemism for breast cancer).

Not that chest being a part of the body distinct from the breast stops them.

I'd tell them where to stick it. Why would you waste your time helping them when they're clearly so confused on the basics.

They should have changed it to 'mother who are or have breast/chest fed'. Because we are people whose opinions matter and legally the person who gestates a child is a mother.

@June628 thanks for that I'm past bf stage myself but have friends/family who are/may be in near future

This is so confused.

I think what they want is to talk both to women who have and have not breastfed. But the way they have worded it, they will potentially get males, who aren't really part of the breast pump market, and not some people they want.

That's assuming they understand what is being asked at all.