In the day and age when women can have three breasts, it only makes perfect sense that men would breastfeed!
Trevor MacDonald is a transgender man who, along with his partner Ian, decided to start a family. Because Trevor maintained his female reproductive organs, he was able to conceive, carry, and birth a healthy baby boy named Jacob. Once Jacob was born, Trevor became “passionate about breastfeeding.”
To help guide him in his breastfeeding journey, the 28-year-old Canadian turned to the help of the Le Leche League which is an organization to, “help mothers worldwide to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support.”
With support from the Le Leche League and the assistance of a supplemental nursing system, Trevor was successfully able to breastfeed his son through toddlerhood. Because of his passion for offering his child the best possible nutrition, Trevor decided to join the Le Leche League as a Coach in order to help women along their breastfeeding journey.
Only one problem, the Le Leche League only allowed women to act as Coaches. This was obviously an obstacle for Trevor, and he was ultimately denied his bid.
CBC News reported on this decision back in 2012. The Le Leche League responded by saying, “[T]he roles of mothers and fathers are not interchangeable. Since an LLLC Leader is a mother who has breastfed a baby, a man cannot become an LLLC Leader.”
The article went on to explain, “The group also suggested some women would not be comfortable working with a male leader, that the organization does not ‘accredit specialty Leaders,’ and that there are alternate ways MacDonald can share his experiences with other members.”
Despite being turned down, Trevor persisted. He was outspoken on the issue and encouraged others to reach out to the Le Leche League in an effort to change their policies in his blog Milk Junkies.
His perseverance paid off when, earlier this year, the Le Leche League released this statement of their updated policy:
As a nondiscriminatory organization in Illinois, USA, applicants for volunteer breastfeeding counsellor positions cannot be considered ineligible based on factors such as gender, race, religion, physical disability, marital status, sexual orientation, financial or social position, or political or social views.
As the cultural understanding of gender has expanded, it is now recognised that some men are able to breastfeed. In the spirit of nondiscrimination and with this awareness, La Leche League International has refined the eligibility qualifications for its volunteer breastfeeding counsellors to include men who otherwise meet the prerequisites for becoming a volunteer applicant. Prerequisites include organizational experience, personal experience breastfeeding a baby for at least nine months, and a demonstrated commitment to La Leche League philosophy.
“It’s really great,” Trevor said during and interview with the The Toronto Star. “It doesn’t only open up opportunities to who can volunteer, but it sends a really clear message that La Leche League wants to support all kinds of families, and anyone who wants to breastfeed.”
