“It’s just a boob. It’s 2025. It’s time to get comfortable.”
A roaming billboard on a truck by Melbourne-based Nala read outside the Virgin terminal in Melbourne. The billboard was the reaction from the brand that is known for offering a range of inclusive, sustainable, and comfortable bras, underwear, and bodysuits to a recent episode at Virgin that kicked up a social media storm. Dr Elise Turner, a mother-of-two, had alleged that she was asked to leave the Virgin Australia business lounge by a staff member for pumping breast milk.
According to Dr Elise Turner, the staff asked her to use a bathroom to breastfeed as her pumping was making other guests in the lounge uncomfortable. "...she put her hand on my arm and asked me to leave the lounge," Dr Turner said on social media before adding, "I've been told that I can't sit here in the Virgin lounge as a paying business class ticket-holder to express breast milk."
Virgin Australia was later forced to apologise to the lady over the development and confirmed having spoken with the staff member involved. Since then, the social media post has disappeared, Australian media reports said.
The incident is said to be the reason for Nala displaying the reminder message outside the Virgin terminal. Chloe de Winter, one of the co-founders of Nala, said that she decided to express solidarity with Dr Turner as her experiences while feeding her own child in the recent past remained fresh in her mind.
"...I remember the stares and disapproving glares I received... So when I heard what Dr Elise Turner went through, I was disgusted, appalled and immediately wanted to support her," Nala reportedly told news.com.au.