Originally published at National Catholic Register
Two leaders of a major global mother’s breastfeeding support group, including one of the organization’s founders, have resigned amid the group’s decision to allow males to participate in meetings that have historically been open only to mothers.
The international board of La Leche League recently directed all British affiliates to begin accommodating men who believe they are women.
La Leche League was founded in Illinois in 1956 by Marian Tompson and six other women to offer mother-to-mother breastfeeding support, first in the U.S. and then beyond. At the time in the United States, the vast majority of babies were bottle-fed, with many medical experts urging mothers away from breastfeeding in favor of formulas.
Tompson, 94, announced this week that she was resigning from the group’s board of directors after accusing the organization of becoming “a travesty of my original intent.”
Tompson said the group was launched with the aim of “supporting biological women who want to give their babies the best start in life by breastfeeding them.”
Yet the group’s aim has shifted, she said, “to include men who, for whatever reason, want to have the experience of breastfeeding.”
LGBT advocates have argued that men who believe they are women are capable of breastfeeding
