At La Leche League International (LLLI), the Board of Directors has actively sought input from Leaders and Administrators throughout the organization to determine what inclusivity means to those who volunteer, as well as those they support. In these discussions we discovered that simplifying all language to the gender neutral did not meet the complex needs nor match the goals of our organization. As we begin to implement our inclusivity policies across our messaging, we have participated in and expect there to be ongoing transparent, honest, and challenging discussions. We welcome you to join us as we grow in this way.

inclusion

We are working on a number of initiatives to implement our inclusivity policies now. Our Inclusivity Statement and Cultural Sensitivity in Publications policy include using language that affirms the various families we support regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental ability, socio-economic status, political views, gender identity, sexual orientation, or family structure.

what we are doing

We use terms like birthing/breastfeeding/chestfeeding parent alongside mother, mothering, and nurturing/nursing. We are planning to increase our audio and visual resources to better support those with vision or hearing impairment as well as those living in communities where we have not yet identified translators. We welcome photos from around our organization to offer better visual representation of the vast variety of communities and cultures in which we live, love, and support breastfeeding/chestfeeding mothers and families. We are continually seeking new partners in translations to reach more communities with the written and spoken resources we already have available.

It is our sincere intention that through our attitudes, our words, whether printed or spoken, and our visual representations that we indicate to any individual seeking our services and support that they are welcome. 

We are always listening and encourage you to share any feedback on this journey to board@llli.org.