Check it out!

http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A00789 Thanks, Foster!

And specifically:
Civil Rights Law Article 7 CVR Article 7
§ 79-e. Right to breast feed. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a mother may breast feed her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether or not the nipple of the mother's breast is covered during or incidental to the breast feeding.

Still Outraged

Melech, milk on chin, enjoying MOMA despite the breastfeeding outrage.

Part of the exhibit on the surrealist object, this breast from 1947 is one of many breasts as art on display at Moma.

Trying to enjoy the free time remaining on my maternity leave, I took Melech to MoMa today. As soon as we arrived at the first exhibit I wanted to see, he stirred in the Moby wrap, indicating that he was ready to eat. The sculpture garden was open and might have been a good place to nurse, but we were all the way up on the 6th floor. And then lo and behold, right outside the Ron Arad: No Discipline exhibit, there were these fabulous couches. I picked a spot at the end and, finding the couch comfy indeed, started to nurse.
A guard gave me a confusing sign, a kind of wave. He asked me to move.
"What?" I asked. I didn't get it. He wanted me to move.
"Why?" I asked.
He made it clear that he "wasn't saying I couldn't feed my baby" but "you can't do it here". He wanted me to move to a bench somewhere down the hallway.
"But this is comfortable," I said. Yeah, but he told me to go.
"Um, this museum is like, full of pictures of breasts!" I said in dismay, feeling a bit stunned now. "Can I ask why I can't sit here?"
He told me I was "making people uncomfortable". I surveyed the people around me. They appeared to be mostly Europeans. They appeared quite comfortable, especially those seated at with me on the long couch.
I thought about asking to speak with a supervisor.
But I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would cry. The hormones work that way, you know. Slowly I moved towards the direction the guard had indicated. At first I saw only two very exposed benches behind a fenced off area where a bauhaus sign was going up. Then I saw where he really meant: a narrow bench in a hallway on the way to the restroom. Absurd. But I went.
Needless to say this made my visit a lot less fun.
I would like to go back with more mothers to have a nurse in. About 40 of us could fit comfortably at the Ron Arad couch. Where can I find lactivists?

RE: outraged

raquelshira comments: no!! We need to mobilize. What mamaspiritrising org exists in nyc to do a quick turnaround nurse_in at moma?i hope u flashed some serious nipple at the agent!!

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outraged

Melech and i are at moma and i was just asked to move from comfy couch to isolated bench to nurse! Because apparantly ppl who came to see paintings of naked breasts (they had a few here last time i checked) were "uncomfortable" seeing the real thing.

The Best Meal I Had this Week

Was probably the salad I had today at three in the afternoon. I ate it on the subway, over Melech's sleeping head with him Bjorned to me. I was on my way way downtown to pick up his passport. The salad was from Westside Market on my corner. It was made of spinach leaves, red onions, a hard-boiled egg, shavings of Parmesan cheese, corn, hearts of palm, a few slivers of peppers, and a mediocre vinaigrette. Without thinking I had approximated my favorite Sylva salat italki (Italian salad). Like that one it needed salt which I was unable to add on the subway.
It was the best meal because though he was attached to me, no one was climbing on me, sucking on me, or screaming in my ear.
Other meals today: as soon as I got breakfast ready, screaming baby boy demands his breakfast. Ahuva is about to be late for her 3rd day back at school (the precious "phase in" period involving gradually increasing intervals of supervised attendance) unless I cede my ready bagel half to Adi for his breakfast. I do have a nice coffee to enjoy as I nurse, but the actual eating will wait at least another hour.
Dinner? Ordered Chinese food. Was inspired by Ahuva, now 2 years 8 months, who, on the way home from day care (today was also the first day with lunch at school) grabbed my hand at the entrance to Ollie's and said, "Let's go out for dumplings! C'mon, Mom!". It was crowded with returned Columbia students so I said "No space!" but promised dumplings for dinner. Hardly my ideal shabbat dinner but delicious. Well, the first two warm bites were, despite Mel at breast. Then he kept howling to the point where I decided to comply with Ahuva's suggestion to take him into my room to bed. That didn't work, but it did make my food cool before I got back to it.
Ah, but there was that salad...