Earlier this week, NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne drew a bit of ire from the lactivist community when he made a series of body-shaming comments through his Twitter account after seeing a woman nursing in a grocery store.
Kahne’s comments were the type you’re well familiar with if you’ve been a nursing mother at any point- the standard “that’s nasty, I lost my appetite” kind of thing. Kahne’s attitude in the posts (quoted below) were- not surprisingly- offensive to many who have been in the position of having to nurse in or near public, and outcry was swift and angry. Kahne originally said:
Just walking through supermarket. See a mom breast feeding little kid. Took second look because I was obviously seeing things. I wasn’t! …One boob put away and one boob hanging!!! #nasty …I don’t feel like shopping anymore or eating…
Initially, Kahne’s response to one angry tweeter (“your [sic] a dumb bitch”) didn’t ameliorate the situation either, but it seems the NASCAR star has changed his position, and he sent a pleasant apology- it seems to indicate that not only is he sorry for the offense caused, but that Kahne also appreciates the folly in his original comments. Kahne begins:
“I understand that my comments regarding breastfeeding posted on Twitter were offensive to some people. For that, I apologize. It was in no way my intention to offend any mother who chooses to breastfeed her child, or, for that matter, anyone who supports breastfeeding children. I want to make that clear… In all honestly, I was surprised by what I saw in a grocery store. I shared that reaction with my fans on Twitter. It obviously wasn’t the correct approach, and, after reading your feedback, I now have a better understanding of why my posts upset some of you.”
Kahne continued:
“My comments were not directed at the mother’s right to breastfeed. They were just a reaction to the location of that choice, and the fashion in which it was executed on that occasion… I respect the mother’s right to feed her child whenever and wherever she pleases.”
Given his initial remarks, it’s heartening such a dramatic reversal so rapidly followed. Oddly enough, if anything, the incident seems to be a testament to the benefits of nursing in public as a way to cement a woman’s right to nurse in public.
What do you think about Kahne’s initial remarks and subsequent apology?