WPA Urges Ann Arbor City Council to Support Nursing Mothers and Infants

January 13, 2006

Dear Councilwoman Carlberg,

The WPA's support the right of nursing babies and their mothers to breastfeed in public. We are concerned about the local YMCA's policy of segregating nursing mothers and their babies. We urge the City of Ann Arbor to enact an ordinance, or amend an existing ordinance, to ensure the right of breastfeeding babies to nurse on demand.

We understand that the YMCA asserts that breastfeeding violates their pool's "no food and drink" rule, intended to prevent broken glass and spilled food and beverages. Of course, broken glass is irrelevant to nursing, and, ironically, it is only when a nursing mother doesn't feed her baby that milk "spills" or leaks!

Notably, the City of Philadelphia's Ordinance 9-1105 addresses this issue. According to the website of La Leche League International, Philadelphia City Ordinance 1996 Amends Section 9-1105 of the Fair Practices Code entitled "Unlawful Public Accommodations Practice" to prohibit a breastfeeding mother from, or segregate a breastfeeding mother within, any public accommodation where she would otherwise be authorized to be, whether or not the nipple of the mother's breast is covered during or incidental to breastfeeding. For a summary of the Philadelphia Ordinance, please see http://lalecheleague.org/Law/Bills4.html and for a summary of laws regarding breastfeeding in public: http://lalecheleague.org/Law/Bills33.html.

Perhaps an amendment to the City's Civil Rights ordinance could also serve this purpose.

Thank you for considering this request to support the smallest and most vulnerable members of our community by ensuring their access to breastmilk on demand. If the WPA's can be of assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us!

Sincerely,

Women Progressive Activists
P.O. Box 3182
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-3182
www.wpactivists.org