A woman breastfeeding her one-year-old child was asked to ‘cover up’ her breast in a museum in London even as the World Breastfeeding Week to spread the awareness about the value of breastfeeding for mothers as well as children was being observed across the globe.
Instead of bearing that in silence, she took to Twitter to express her amazement.
The woman, who posts as @vaguechera on Twitter, said she had “flashed a nanosecond of nipple” in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum’s courtyard when she was told to conceal her breast.
Flashed a nanosecond of nipple while #breastfeeding and was asked to cover up in @V_and_A courtyard. Am perplexed.... pic.twitter.com/T6VIRQbgrC
— Vaguechera (@vaguechera) August 5, 2017
And she didn’t stop there.
She also posted pictures of “Mankind,” “Pluto and Proserpina” and “Vertumnus and Pomona,” among other pieces at the V&A, all of which prominently feature nude female breasts, highlighting the museum’s double standards.
'Excuse me madam, would you mind covering your breasts with this mask while you feed?' pic.twitter.com/yvRrcpbc3c
— Vaguechera (@vaguechera) August 5, 2017
'I will throw you out of this museum with your naked breasts!' 'But I'm made of marble!' 'Oh sorry you're fine then' @V_and_A pic.twitter.com/HL0py3vJ7I
— Vaguechera (@vaguechera) August 5, 2017
'All these naked breasts are putting people off their food' #vandaboob pic.twitter.com/jlo9CsIaDJ
— Vaguechera (@vaguechera) August 5, 2017
The woman told the BBC she was “stunned into silence” by the request from a female member of staff.
“I had been attempting to be discreet and to feed under a cardigan, but with a distracted one-year-old it can be challenging,” she said.
“The staff member was friendly and polite, but obviously asking me to cover up was still intrusive, unpleasant and embarrassing for me, as well as obviously ludicrous,” she added.
Tristram Hunt, the director of the Victoria and Albert museum, tweeted an apology to the woman.
“V sorry. Our policy is clear: women may breastfeed wherever they like, wherever they feel comfortable & shld not be disturbed (sic),” he said in a tweet.
.@vaguechera V sorry. Our policy is clear: women may breastfeed wherever they like, wherever they feel comfortable & shld not be disturbed.
— Tristram Hunt (@TristramHuntVA) August 5, 2017
