I am breastfeeding my 3 month old. I was told by a man while in public (I was being as discreet as possible) that breastfeeding is illegal in the state of Washington. He told me I could be fined. How true is this? I know in Oregon they have restaurants and such which have the national breastfeeding sign or sticker so that you can breastfeed in them without judgement from the staff. What about the other states? Where can I find info on this? I looked up breastfeeding sites but can not find any info on this subject! Help!
HELLO! Earth to Yosimite: Breastfeeding is not illegal. God giveth milk dispensers and man cannot take them away.
In some areas, where the native population is backward…like Washington…there MIGHT be some local ordinance that prohibits breastfeeding in public, although feeding infants in public places is just as necessary as feeding adults in public places.
Why don’t you call the local police station and ask them?
I don’t think it’s illegal here, since breastfeeders have their own organization, the La Leche Leage of Washington State. I bet someone there would be able to fill you in on all of your breasfeeding questions.
I strongly suspect that the man in question was uncomfortable with this natural function and felt the need to threaten you to make you stop.
I don’t know the legality of it; I suppose if he wanted to stretch the point (and depending on how much breast you had exposed, I understand you were being discreet) he could have tried to get you fined for public nudity or exhibitionism or some such nonsense. I also think any sane policeman would have laughed him back into his cave.
But that’s just me.
As I understand it breastfeeding is not illegal anywhere in the U.S. A number of states have enacted legislation to clarify this–not to make it legal where it wasn’t before, but rather to formally state that breastfeeding is not indecent exposure and that a woman has a right to breastfeed anywhere she otherwise has a right to be.
So the guy was wrong. You should go back there and dare him to sic the cops on you.
Okay, I have searched the Washington state laws and case law and can’t find anything about breastfeeding being illegal specifically (I didn’t search municipal codes, that would take a while). However, the state does recognize a difference between the male and female breast for the purposes of “indecent exposure” or “lewd behavior”. So, there’s kind of an implication that an exposed female breast, no matter what the purpose, would be considered either indecent exposure or lewd behavior.
But, I’m not a lawyer and this ain’t legal advice, so what do I know…
Yep, it was just within the last few years that women could show a bear breast in public in California during breastfeeding & it not being considered an illegal act.
I assure you that it has never been illegal to display bear breasts anywhere in California. In fact, there is a bear on the State Seal of California, and it is quite naked, no bra or panties or anything!
I’m no lawyer. Even if I was, I’m a few thousand miles too far away to comment on Washington law, but I do have two small children who were first breastfed, then switched to bottles, and EVERY BOTTLE OF FORMULA I BOUGHT FOR THEM had a blurb printed somewhere on it saying something like “While no formula is as good for your baby as mother’s milk, ours is the best/healthiest/closest to mother’s milk.” I’m sure that the statement is required by law or at least is supported by overwhelming evidence. In turn, if a law did exist forbidding breastfeeding in public, I’m sure it could be shot down with the common-sense argument that the law in question prohibits mothers from caring for their children in the best possible manner. Could this work or has it happened? I’ll leave it for the lawyers to say…
FWIW, last year, Wal-Mart was successfully sued in Ohio because they demanded that a breastfeeding mother take her child to the bathroom to feed her. Here’s a link:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/living/HealthyWoman/healthywoman_54.html
Interestingly enough, it begins with a picture taken at a Breastfeeding Awareness Day rally… in Olympia, Washington. Clicking on the picture and then on Washington on the map gives the following text:
Of course, this may be year-old information…
Tell that asshole he got it wrong…you could be fine…
I spoke too soon; I couldn’t find anything about the outcome of the Ohio case. In any case, it’s food…
Cher3 said:
“A number of states have enacted legislation to clarify this–not to make it legal where it wasn’t before, but rather to formally state that breastfeeding is not indecent exposure and that a woman has a right to breastfeed anywhere she otherwise has a right to be.”
Florida does this. As if NOT making something ilegal isn’t enough, the statutes go further by expressly stating it IS legal. Here is an example out of the State Statutes.
"800.03 Exposure of sexual organs.–It is unlawful to expose or exhibit one’s sexual organs in public or on the private premises of another, or so near thereto as to be seen from such private premises, in a vulgar or indecent manner, or to be naked in public except in any place provided or set apart for that purpose. Violation of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. A mother’s breastfeeding of her baby does not under any circumstance violate this section. "
Also in another section S.S. 383.085 it states that:
“(1) A mother may breastfeed her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.”
I hope all states have similar clauses.
When the 700 club or whatever looney organization tries to make feeding your baby illegal, I imagine they will be laughed right out of Dodge. They NEARLY got laughed off the air because of Dinky-Winky or Winky-Dinky (whatever) character they reviled as being a homosexual role model. Like it is their business in the first place. Feel free to believe what you want in the privacy of your own home or a church of like-minded individuals. But don’t start that shit with me.
That’s Tinky Winky. 
A good friend of mine once told me that this type of thing happened to her in a restaurant. The manager of the establishment requested she take her child to the bathroom to breastfeed him. She responded, “Sir, would you eat YOUR lunch in the bathroom?”. He just walked away and never bothered here again.
Thanks so much for all of your replies. I will surely put this to rest if anyone else says anything to me. Dragwyr your friend was right to say that, and I got a good chuckle from it. I will keep that in mind. You were all very helpful thanks!!
Here’s a link for you that should help:
http://www.lalecheleague.org/LawBills.html#Frequently Asked Questions
Breastfeeding is legal EVERYWHERE in the United States. Those states that have enacted legislation only clarify that breastfeeding is not obscene.
–tygre