This is a long one, but I think the outcome is worth the lengthy stories. If we're facebook friends, you might remember a post from earlier this year in February about my experience at the Tacoma Dome with respect to pumping. You can read about it in detail here, including the comments where I posted some screen shots of communication with the Tacoma Dome staff, and my communication with local breastfeeding advocates. I posted a follow up on facebook a few days later.
The down and dirty of my experience that night is as follows:
- I was allowed to enter the Tacoma Dome with my breast pump, after a special medical screening of my bag. I was pleased with the ease of this process!
-When I went to find a location to pump, I was passed from one staff member to the other, where they finally offered me a dirty bathroom. I declined, nobody wants to prepare food for their infant (or feed their infant) in a bathroom. The reasons why are many, but have you seen articles about feces particles? Yeah, no thanks. Bathrooms simply aren't sanitary, period.
-Since finding a suitable place to pump was clearly going to become an impossible feat, I requested permission to exit the building to pump in the car, and permission to return. I was told this was no an option.
Basically, I was trapped with swollen, hard, PAINFUL, leaking boobs, and nowhere to relieve them. This matter was further complicated by the fact that I discovered I also needed to plug in my pump. I had grabbed the wrong battery pack (the dead one) and my extra batteries were in the car. I wasn't given a safe, private, clean location to pump, but I also wasn't permitted to leave and return for a "medical event." This infuriated me. We ended up leaving the concert early, with me in tears, clutching my exploding chest.
I ended up filing a human rights commission complaint, but the HRC was unable to take action because in their communication with the Tacoma Dome, they said I didn't request an accommodation before the concert (still not following that logic, but I digress), and the Tacoma Dome promised that in the future, 'if it was requested' they would accommodate a breastfeeding mother in a location other than a restroom.
Fast forward to last night. I was tagged in a post in my local mom's group. This momma was asking about the Garth Brooks concert at the Tacoma Dome and about getting her pump in/where she could pump. I posted briefly about my experience and gave her the Deputy Director for the Tacoma Dome's information.
She emailed him last night, he responded this morning... I could not believe his response, HE OFFERED HER THE FAMILY RESTROOM. I wanted to scream. I suggested to her that she respond indicating a restroom was not the appropriate location to fulfill this need, and I set out to contact some of the breastfeeding advocates who assisted me earlier this year, asking if they could please get these women a safe, clean space for the concert on Friday and Saturday night.
I was blown away at their responsiveness and helpfulness. She responded almost immediately and was going to reach out to the Deputy Director.
This was finally beginning to fall into place. I had a feeling we were going to accomplish something today!
I felt "incomplete" with all my pushing, communicating, and coordinating earlier this year, trying to get the Tacoma Dome on board with creating a PERMANENT place for women to breastfeed or pump at any and every event at their Venue. Everyone except the Tacoma Dome was on board. They were full of excuses- First it was expenses being an issue, so I tracked down some chairs, tables and other items to be donated. Then it was lack of space (really guys, the Tacoma Dome is HUGE), and then their communication with my kind of fell by the wayside. I filed the Human Rights Commission complaint, but as you read above, that went nowhere because the Tacoma Dome was willing to cooperate. But here was an opportunity to finally hold their feet to the fire. I avoided many events there this spring and summer because I didn't want to deal with breastfeeding issues again. But I'll be damned if I was going to sit idly by and let some other moms suffer.
One of the other advocates I reached out to also responded, this is what she sent me:
This paragraph really gets me "...They said expressing milk was something no one has thought to expressly include it and since the law is so young it’s constantly changing and open for interpretation. This is a big deal and they want to do it right. Ladies, Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadies, it is 2017 and Washington State does NOT have a law that expressly protects the expression of breasmilk (aka pumping). I'm on a mission to fix that, but that is another blog post for another day!!
Then at about 2:30 this afternoon, we finally got a definitive answer and a location that is NOT a bathroom!! FUCKING SUCCESS LADIES, FUCKING SUCCESS!
The down and dirty of my experience that night is as follows:
- I was allowed to enter the Tacoma Dome with my breast pump, after a special medical screening of my bag. I was pleased with the ease of this process!
-When I went to find a location to pump, I was passed from one staff member to the other, where they finally offered me a dirty bathroom. I declined, nobody wants to prepare food for their infant (or feed their infant) in a bathroom. The reasons why are many, but have you seen articles about feces particles? Yeah, no thanks. Bathrooms simply aren't sanitary, period.
-Since finding a suitable place to pump was clearly going to become an impossible feat, I requested permission to exit the building to pump in the car, and permission to return. I was told this was no an option.
Basically, I was trapped with swollen, hard, PAINFUL, leaking boobs, and nowhere to relieve them. This matter was further complicated by the fact that I discovered I also needed to plug in my pump. I had grabbed the wrong battery pack (the dead one) and my extra batteries were in the car. I wasn't given a safe, private, clean location to pump, but I also wasn't permitted to leave and return for a "medical event." This infuriated me. We ended up leaving the concert early, with me in tears, clutching my exploding chest.
 |
| Nobody should look this pissed after leaving a concert |
I ended up filing a human rights commission complaint, but the HRC was unable to take action because in their communication with the Tacoma Dome, they said I didn't request an accommodation before the concert (still not following that logic, but I digress), and the Tacoma Dome promised that in the future, 'if it was requested' they would accommodate a breastfeeding mother in a location other than a restroom.
Fast forward to last night. I was tagged in a post in my local mom's group. This momma was asking about the Garth Brooks concert at the Tacoma Dome and about getting her pump in/where she could pump. I posted briefly about my experience and gave her the Deputy Director for the Tacoma Dome's information. She emailed him last night, he responded this morning... I could not believe his response, HE OFFERED HER THE FAMILY RESTROOM. I wanted to scream. I suggested to her that she respond indicating a restroom was not the appropriate location to fulfill this need, and I set out to contact some of the breastfeeding advocates who assisted me earlier this year, asking if they could please get these women a safe, clean space for the concert on Friday and Saturday night.
I was blown away at their responsiveness and helpfulness. She responded almost immediately and was going to reach out to the Deputy Director.
This was finally beginning to fall into place. I had a feeling we were going to accomplish something today!
I felt "incomplete" with all my pushing, communicating, and coordinating earlier this year, trying to get the Tacoma Dome on board with creating a PERMANENT place for women to breastfeed or pump at any and every event at their Venue. Everyone except the Tacoma Dome was on board. They were full of excuses- First it was expenses being an issue, so I tracked down some chairs, tables and other items to be donated. Then it was lack of space (really guys, the Tacoma Dome is HUGE), and then their communication with my kind of fell by the wayside. I filed the Human Rights Commission complaint, but as you read above, that went nowhere because the Tacoma Dome was willing to cooperate. But here was an opportunity to finally hold their feet to the fire. I avoided many events there this spring and summer because I didn't want to deal with breastfeeding issues again. But I'll be damned if I was going to sit idly by and let some other moms suffer.
One of the other advocates I reached out to also responded, this is what she sent me:
Other thoughts and ideas…Breastfeeding Laws (RCW 49.60.030 and 49.60.215) enacted in 2009 is clear about this.“Breastfeeding Mothers are protected under the state Anti-discrimination law…..no one, including business owners or employees call tell a mother to leave, go to the bathroom, cover themselves…So here are a couple of things you can do…Considering the information you shared with me, you have every right to file a complaint with OSHA. They do not specifically handle breastfeeding violations but considering the lack of sanitation of using a bathroom this seems to be a serious health hazard and safety issue.You can also file a complaint with the WA State Human Rights Commission (HRC). When filing a complain also request a clarification on the law, regarding expressing milk in public. HRC oversees this breastfeeding RCW (what I provided above) and interprets it.
It is recommended by the HRC, that breastfeeding mothers file a formal complaint so that they can look into the case and, if need be, make adjustments to RCW so that it’s no longer up for interpretation. They said expressing milk was something no one has thought to expressly include it and since the law is so young it’s constantly changing and open for interpretation. This is a big deal and they want to do it right.Here is some information you may need along the way, if you choose to file a complaint:· HRC would need to know the following: the story (incident, concerns, and how you may want this resolved)Another immediate option is call Jesse Jones, Kiro 7. He likes this media stuff. Last year her advocated for a working mother that was discriminated in the work place for expressing her milk. Here is the link.
This paragraph really gets me "...They said expressing milk was something no one has thought to expressly include it and since the law is so young it’s constantly changing and open for interpretation. This is a big deal and they want to do it right. Ladies, Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadies, it is 2017 and Washington State does NOT have a law that expressly protects the expression of breasmilk (aka pumping). I'm on a mission to fix that, but that is another blog post for another day!!
Then at about 2:30 this afternoon, we finally got a definitive answer and a location that is NOT a bathroom!! FUCKING SUCCESS LADIES, FUCKING SUCCESS!
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