Reading this as a retired leader who left because of the issues you raised- it feels like a punch to the gut. Thank you for so eloquently expressing the thoughts & concerns that I have discussed with other retired leaders... I am glad to see this though I no longer support or recommend LLL to any moms.
LLLI's insistence on mixing causes has brought the organization to great ruin. The promotion of a personal political cause of inclusivity has created a culture of fear, retribution, and bullying among Leaders who are actually in fear of being "outed" by the board and sacrificed on the altar of public shaming for having an idea. A thought. In effect, the board has made free exchange of ideas, questions, and discussions taboo. Inclusivity is the new exclusivity. All Leaders must conform to the idea that men are women and can breastfeed babies; that surrogacy does not rip a baby from a mother's arms or cheat a baby from his loving mother. Really? I believe it is our Creator God above who made the design of man and woman and when one plots to undo His work, I believe it is a sin. Call me old fashioned if you will, disagree with me, that's fine. Because I believe in discussion and the free exchange of ideas makes us stronger. When experts––LLL Leaders–– are silenced, who becomes the arbiter of ensuring safe practices for infant feeding? Certainly not members of the board who seek to be recognized in their ivory towers of higher education as revolutionaries willing to go the distance to silence bigots. I was bullied by the board for supporting women to breastfeed. I left the organization and no one cared enough to ask me why. It has become apparent to me that this irresponsible discharge of administrative duties, sloppy policy making, and silencing of thought has not benefitted mothers or babies; the only "one" who benefits from this social movement to turn back women's rights and empowerment (rights to be a safeguard for the family, to be the final person to stop harm to children) is the infant formula industry. Ladies, I give you the current board with a few notable exceptions, (a big exception is a beloved Founding Mother who had to use her Founder's option to get back on the board to try to save LLL) that has conspired to weaken the family unit by unhinging the rightful place of mother as mother in the family. They are playing into the hands of corporate formula companies who seek to remove women from the family. The board's acts are at the very least immoral, and someday it will become clear the damage that they have caused to women and children.
So many leaders, me included, were openly bullied or forced out, for the 'sin' of pointing out the problem with mixing causes, or for questioning the new policies. How indefensible it is to abandon "evidence-based information and support" when that was all we had to fight the shameful misinformation that mothers who want to breastfeed are subjected to. So sad. Thank you for this piece, LucyLeader. Thank you for standing up for the many victims of this injustice.
Thanks for exploring this painful topic so thoughtfully Lucy. M2M volunteers around the western world share your experience of being bullied and betrayed by the organisations we have our hearts and minds to. 💜🤱💜
Reading this as a retired leader who left because of the issues you raised- it feels like a punch to the gut. Thank you for so eloquently expressing the thoughts & concerns that I have discussed with other retired leaders... I am glad to see this though I no longer support or recommend LLL to any moms.
LLLI's insistence on mixing causes has brought the organization to great ruin. The promotion of a personal political cause of inclusivity has created a culture of fear, retribution, and bullying among Leaders who are actually in fear of being "outed" by the board and sacrificed on the altar of public shaming for having an idea. A thought. In effect, the board has made free exchange of ideas, questions, and discussions taboo. Inclusivity is the new exclusivity. All Leaders must conform to the idea that men are women and can breastfeed babies; that surrogacy does not rip a baby from a mother's arms or cheat a baby from his loving mother. Really? I believe it is our Creator God above who made the design of man and woman and when one plots to undo His work, I believe it is a sin. Call me old fashioned if you will, disagree with me, that's fine. Because I believe in discussion and the free exchange of ideas makes us stronger. When experts––LLL Leaders–– are silenced, who becomes the arbiter of ensuring safe practices for infant feeding? Certainly not members of the board who seek to be recognized in their ivory towers of higher education as revolutionaries willing to go the distance to silence bigots. I was bullied by the board for supporting women to breastfeed. I left the organization and no one cared enough to ask me why. It has become apparent to me that this irresponsible discharge of administrative duties, sloppy policy making, and silencing of thought has not benefitted mothers or babies; the only "one" who benefits from this social movement to turn back women's rights and empowerment (rights to be a safeguard for the family, to be the final person to stop harm to children) is the infant formula industry. Ladies, I give you the current board with a few notable exceptions, (a big exception is a beloved Founding Mother who had to use her Founder's option to get back on the board to try to save LLL) that has conspired to weaken the family unit by unhinging the rightful place of mother as mother in the family. They are playing into the hands of corporate formula companies who seek to remove women from the family. The board's acts are at the very least immoral, and someday it will become clear the damage that they have caused to women and children.
So many leaders, me included, were openly bullied or forced out, for the 'sin' of pointing out the problem with mixing causes, or for questioning the new policies. How indefensible it is to abandon "evidence-based information and support" when that was all we had to fight the shameful misinformation that mothers who want to breastfeed are subjected to. So sad. Thank you for this piece, LucyLeader. Thank you for standing up for the many victims of this injustice.
Thanks for exploring this painful topic so thoughtfully Lucy. M2M volunteers around the western world share your experience of being bullied and betrayed by the organisations we have our hearts and minds to. 💜🤱💜