Dr. Elise Turner, a mother of two, had to go through a ridiculous ordeal on Monday. She was ejected from Virgin Australia’s Melbourne lounge while pumping breast milk. Staffers said they kicked her out because her presence was making other patrons feel unsafe. Things got really bad, they pointed out, when they told Dr. Turner to go to a restroom to breastfeed. She rightly challenged the relevance of such a request at all in a public forum.
Dr. Turner faced a fight as she attempted to inform the union staff of her legal rights under Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act of 1984. Incensed by the experience, she shared her story on social media. Her post, which has since expired, highlighted her belief that lactating mothers should not face discrimination or discomfort while feeding their children in public spaces.
Incident Details
Dr. Turner was sitting in the Virgin Australia lounge when the confrontation started. She wasn’t doing anything wrong – just exercising her natural and protected right to breastfeed. According to her account, a staff member approached her, stating, “The staff member’s reply was that I am making her and other people uncomfortable.” Second, the staffer allegedly grabbed Dr. Turner’s arm. Instead of documenting and arresting the men in question, they told her to vacate the lounge.
Dr. Turner challenged the staff member’s directive, questioning where she should prepare her dinner: “in a shared bathroom, a public bathroom or a public toilet.” The exchange highlights the deep-rooted oppression that persists for countless mothers trying to breastfeed in public spaces.
Reactions and Apologies
Dr. Turner subsequently tweeted about the incident, venting her frustration. She described the treatment of lactating mothers as “disgusting” and stated, “This is 2025, and this is the sort of treatment that lactating mothers are expected to deal with.” Her comments struck a chord with the many women’s rights advocates and supporters of adequate breastfeeding accommodation.
As a direct result of the incident, Virgin Australia has personally apologised to Dr. Turner. They acknowledged that she was treated poorly and expressed regret by stating, “We are sorry for the way this situation was handled. It fell short of the high standards of care and customer service our team strives to deliver.” In addition to setting a higher standard, the airline has further committed to addressing the behavior of the employee involved in the incident.
Advocacy for Change
Victoria is a passionate breastfeeding advocacy. She highlights the need to ensure that breastfeeding mothers feel comfortable and invited in all spaces. She stated, “Women may feel more comfortable in a dedicated space, but it is a woman’s right to be able to breastfeed in any public space that she is lawfully able to access.” She added, “I think it indicates that they’ve still got some fairly significant gaps and learning needs.”
The disturbing incident has led to renewed discussions on the treatment of breastfeeding women and their rights when in public. As advocates are pressuring airlines and other public venues to establish more transparent policies on this issue, the main goal is to make sure lactating mothers feel supported and that they are comfortable feeding their children.
