A two-day conference hosted by the Association of Lactation Consultants of Ireland has come under fire because of safeguarding concerns over the promotion of male lactation. The conference was due to be held in the Ardilaun Hotel in October, but that venue is no longer hosting it. The ALCI website states that this is “Due to unforeseen circumstances on health & safety grounds.”
Director of The Countess, Sorcha Nic Lochlainn, and is a breastfeeding support volunteer and former midwife, said “Child safeguarding must always be prioritized. It is an active process where risk is constantly assessed and mitigated. Lessons of the past show us what happens when a sacred caste is established and adherence to an ideology trumps common sense. This blindness is again evident in Ireland, this time in the Association of Lactation Consultants of Ireland Council, who booked a speaker for their October conference in Galway to deliver workshops on ‘working with gender diverse families.’ This speaker, Jacob Englesman, has advocated for the inclusion of men who identify as women in breastfeeding support groups and promoted induced lactation among men as part of what he describes as ‘inclusive parenting’. He has delivered talks at a fetish conference on ‘Lactation for Kinksters.’ In his book ‘Lactation for the rest of us’, he suggested that some men may seek to induce lactation to experience ‘gender euphoria’ or for reasons including ‘curiosity, fun, or sexual gratification’. Any man who would associate infant feeding with sexual gratification should raise a red flag. Anyone who centres adult desires above infant wellbeing should raise a red flag. Anyone who ignores concerns in favour of ideology should raise a red flag.”
Ms Nic Lochlainn went on to say, “When the ALCI were contacted about our concerns around Engelsman’s work, they fell back on ‘LGBT inclusion’ and a need for education for their members. This response is wholly inadequate and demonstrates that they do not understand safeguarding in the slightest. This is not about a disagreement on gender. It is about this speaker, a man who helps other men use infants for their own gratification; who helps other men abuse babies. The whole conference has now been cancelled from the Ardilaun hotel. The ALCI says this is for ‘health and safety reasons’. Whose health and whose safety they do not say. Not the babies they serve it seems. Those who support this man cry cancel culture. It is not ‘cancel culture’ when children are at risk. The Ardilaun made the correct decision on this. It remains to be seen if this conference will be held elsewhere, and if Engelsman will be presenting. We will be watching closely.”
In response to queries, the HSE said this conference talk is “in line with equality legislation & inclusion strategies.” They cited a growing number of babies born with diverse family structures.
Laoise de Brún BL, CEO and Founder of The Countess, who also trained as a lactation consultant, said “Irish equality law protects people from discrimination. It does not create a right to chemically induce a secretion from a male body, call it breastfeeding, and put an infant on that nipple so an adult man can ‘feel like a mother,’ or for ‘curiosity, fun, or sexual gratification.’ Breastfeeding is a female-specific function. It is part of the mother-baby dyad. A man taking drugs to grow breast tissue and then pumping for ‘curiosity, fun or sexual gratification’ is doing something else. It’s called child sexual abuse. Presenting it as ‘lactation support for gender-diverse families’ does not change the facts. Once a baby is used for an adult’s identity or arousal, you have left the realm of healthcare. Tusla’s definition of child sexual abuse includes using a child for sexual gratification. An infant cannot consent.”
Ms de Brún went on to say “ALCI’s decision to platform this man deplorable. It should not have to be explained that the practice he is promoting will disrupt the Mother–Baby Dyad and the mother’s job of establishing supply, which takes place in the first month or so after birth. Babies are NOT props. This is fetish. This is child abuse, and it’s being promoted by the Association of Lactation Consultants of Ireland.”
Ms de Brún concluded “In Ireland we have the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the industrialised world, with barely 60% of babies getting any breastmilk from birth, whereas in parts of London is it 89% and yet this is what the budget is going on? Flying over a man who has previously presented on lactation for kinksters. Our hospitals don’t even have the funding or resources to comply with basic universal UNICEF breastfeeding protocols. We have a dismal amount of lactation support and yet as always, it’s the virtue signalling that they are only interested in, never ever the hard work of getting the basics right. Serious questions need to be asked of the ALCI Council who made this decision, and the HSE who support them. Minister Carroll-O’Neill needs to resolve this safeguarding failure as soon as possible.”
Ms Nic Lochlainn ended by saying “No one is denying that there are families with differing structures who need specialist support. What we are saying is this does not include putting male wants ahead of mothers and babies’ needs, and it should not be delivered by anyone who thinks male lactation is appropriate.
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NOTES
The Countess wrote to ALCI on Monday, 24 August. As of today, we have received no reply.
ALCI statement on conference sales: https://alcireland.ie/events/vgXmMqIczz2txISSbvcf