We never banned breastfeeding, it's 'courtesy', says cafe
GYMPIE'S Chatz Cafe has been cruelly misrepresented in reports suggesting it is anti-breast feeding, supporter Yuan Miller said yesterday.
"My wife has breast fed there, more than once," the Victory Church pastor said.
But the truth has not stood in the way of this good story, according to the pastor, who says he witnessed the incident - six months ago - which prompted newspaper and online reports at the weekend.
The reports left out one important detail, Pr Miller said.
"We welcome breast feeding," he said.
Claims the restaurant told a breast-feeding woman to "cover up or leave" were not true, but the story had gone viral on Facebook.
"There are some haters out there and they have hurt some innocent people," Pr Miller said.
"No-one was told to feed their baby in the bathroom, but another woman, who changed her baby's dirty nappy on one of the restaurant tables, was told about our baby change table in the toilets.
"The words '… or leave' were never used."
The real problem seemed to be that the restaurant had refused a request by a group of breast-feeding advocates to display and distribute pamphlets in the restaurant.
"We support breast feeding, but we don't want to advertise it. We don't want posters on the wall at all."
The cafe operates on the grounds of the Victory church and shares a breast feeding room.
"It's not a bathroom or toilet and people don't have to use it."
But equally, the pastor says, the toilet is the proper place to change a nappy.
"It's sad when a small business has to take down their Facebook site because of abuse.
"It has nothing to do with religion. The issue is if people were courteous to one another it would be a different world.
"The woman who was breast feeding was not courteous enough to minimize her exposure. The woman who changed her child's nappy on a table was not courteous enough to use the toilet.
"Two tables of people complained and left in response to the conduct of the group," he said.
"This has now become so far from the truth and people are getting on the bandwagon."
Source: Gympie Times, Arthur Gorrie, 19th January 2016
