Tusla receives safeguarding complaints over 'Lactation for Kinksters' speaker at Galway conference

Jacob Engelsman had been booked to give a presentation on “lactation support for gender-diverse families” at the annual conference of the Association of Lactation Consultants in Ireland (ALCI) in the city next month.

In his book, Lactation for the Rest of Us: A Guide for Queer and Trans Parents and Helpers, Mr Engelsman wrote that the reasons why men want to lactate include the desire to feed babies, as well as “sexual gratification”.

His inclusion in the programme for the Galway conference caused significant controversy, attracting international media attention and the threat of protests by a number of sex-based rights organisations.

In response, the ALCI paused ticket sales for the event and subsequently announced that the conference would be held fully online, citing health and safety concerns. The updated programme for the conference omitted Mr Engelsman.

Records released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that Tusla, the child and family agency, received child safeguarding complaints in relation to his participation in the event.

One individual expressed “serious concerns” regarding Mr Engelsman’s planned talk, noting that he had previously given presentations entitled “Inducing Lactation for Kinksters”, and had spoken at fetish conventions.

“Our concern is specifically the potential safeguarding implications where a newborn, who is incapable of consent and entirely dependent on adults for protection, may be introduced to an adult man’s nipple as part of an induced-lactation practice,” they wrote in an email.

They asked Tusla whether these circumstances raised any child-welfare or safeguarding issues that required further consideration, “particularly where adult motivations may include curiosity or sexual gratification”.

The subject of the email was “mothers and babies deserve better”.

Another email received by the agency’s Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit (CSSCU) sought guidance regarding alleged violations of the Children First Act in relation to the conference – “specifically sex abuse and emotional abuse”.

The subject of the email was “safeguarding, infant welfare and professional standards”.

The records were obtained by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, who claimed that the scheduling of Mr Engelsman’s talk at the conference should trigger a HSE review under Children First legislation.

“ALCI is an NGO that receives funding from the HSE. The event was only stopped after the controversy rolled on for days, and the HSE even defended his talk, citing ‘equality and inclusion’,” he said.

“The story is deeply shocking and it disturbed any right-thinking person. It has made international headlines. To publicly push breastfeeding as a man’s fetish is akin to child abuse.

“It is shocking to think the HSE is paying an NGO who lined up such a speaker to address a professional medical conference,” added Mr Tóibín.

He claimed that this was a “clear breach” of the Children First policy, and said he had written to the HSE seeking an investigation into the matter.