Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.

The San Francisco, California, proposed ballot to ban male infant circumcision continues as a hot item in the news this week. I applaud and support Lloyd Schofield in his effort to promote bodily autonomy and genital integrity for children.The San Francisco MGM Bill website provides some basic information on the proposed ballot. Not everyone is in favor of banning male infant circumcision. In addition to the cut men who are in denial, Bay Area Jews are up in arms over the potential ballot initiative. Read about it here, here, and here.
 

Sunday, November 14, 2010

mario piperni: Outlawing Male Circumcision
In a perfect world, perfect parents make perfect decisions. But, in this imperfect world of ours, imperfect parents sometimes require a little forceful guidance, such as a law telling them not to cut off part of their child's sex organ.

Coffee and kids: Why, why, why do that? Leave it alone!
A mother writes that infant circumcision is absolutely unacceptable. Male infant circumcision is a permanent body modification that has the potential for a lifetime of harm and disfigurement.
 

Monday, November 15, 2010

Becoming Sarah: A post about very small penises.
Attending a Bris Shalom, a Jewish naming ceremony that replaces a Brit Milah, gave Sarah a new perspective. AFter the birth of her daughter, she realized that male infant circumcision is truly genital mutilation.

Babble - Strollerderby: Circumcision Ban Possible For San Francisco
Babble discusses the ban against circumcision. The article comes out strongly against male infant circumcision. Several reasons are given not to circumcise baby boys.

Gawker: Comment of the Day: Proper Locker Room Behavior
A comment made on a circumcision post is featured. The comment was about how guys really do not check out other guys in the locker room. The post creates a flurry of comments. The idea that others will make fun of someone because of his circumcision status is an unwarranted fear.

The Active Intactivist: 50 Reasons to Leave It Alone
The author says that penises only come in one style - Natural - and that parents too often choose to alter what God or Nature or Evolution or The Great Spaghetti Monster created. His first reason for avoiding circumcision is that the penis belongs to the son, not the parents. I consider that a great reason to leave the boy intact.
 

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Coffee and kids: Arg! Phony Phimosis Diagnosis
A mother writes that a friend is being advised by her son's doctor to have her 5 year old son circumcised because the boy is not yet retracting his foreskin. Are doctors that money hungry or that ignorant that the unnecessarily want to circumcises young boys? The average age of retraction of the foreskin was found to be 10.4 years in one study in Europe.

IntheMoment: Cutting Arguments
The question is, are you taking something away from a person’s sexual experience (and perhaps his partner) by cutting off healthy parts of his genitalia. The answer is clearly yes.

New Haven Advocate: Circumcisions Gone Wrong
During a male infant circumcision the doctor amputated part of the boy's penis. The baby boy required corrective surgery to restore functionality to his penis. The parents sued and the case settled. The doctor who botched the circumcision attempted to violate patient confidentiality in building a defense. The parents are suing again.

San Francisco Sentinel: Berkeley author Lisa Braver Moss tackles circumcision
Article about an author of The Measure of His Grief, a book about a jewish doctor who questions infant circumcision.

EmpowHER: San Francisco Banning Circumcision?
One comment sums it up: Does anyone think to ask, "How does your son feel about having a part of his genitals removed before he has time to formulate his own sexuality, decision-making ability, or language skills?"
 

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Mother Jones: Getting Snippy About Circumcision
An article about the proposed ballot measure in San Francisco to ban infant circumcision. Mother Jones identifies the reasons against circumcision. There is also a video of intactivists in the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade.

DrMomma: Peaceful Parenting: Circumcision: The Most Twisted Logic in the World
An interesting article discussing the flawed reasons often used to justify male infant circumcison. The reasons used to justify circumcision cannot be used to justify amputation of any other body part because the reasons are not good enough to justify any amputation. Circumcision is when a healthy, normal baby free of infection and free of deformity has an organ surgically removed from his body soon after birth.

The Active Intactivist: If I could just go back . . .
A mother laments her decision to circumcise her son. Her biggest mama regret is allowing her son to be circumcised.
 

Thursday, November 18, 2010

CrabbyGolightly.com: Lloyd Scholfield Gets It Right: An Appreciation For The Unshorn Schlong
Praise for Lloyd Scholfield for advocating for genital integrity for boys under teh age of 18. "People can practice whatever religion they want, but your religious practice ends with someone else's body," Schofield responds to Jewish critics.

suite101.com: Will Brit Milah be Banned in San Francisco?
Another report of the proposed ban on male infant circumcision in San Francisco. The author mistakenly believes that a ban against male infant circumcision is an unlawful restraint on the practice of religion. Fortunately, there are limits on the first amendment practice of religion, particularly when it comes to what a parent can do to a child. After all, the parents are affecting the body of another person in their practice of the religion. The boy has no say in the matter and it is not the boy's practice of religion that is being restricted.
 

Friday, November 19, 2010

CNN Health: 'Intactivists' to San Francisco: Ban circumcision
A balanced report about male infant circumcision in view of the proposed ballot to ban male circumcision in San Francisco.

CNN Health: Your thoughts on circumcision
The above CNN article received many comments within a short period. CNN comments here on the comments. They quote both sides of the argument.

RCJ.com: Local 7-year old to receive bone marrow transplant in efforts to overcome immune deficiencies
Baby boy gets staph infection from his circumcision when he was about two weeks old. The staph infection was the start of the boys problems, including Combined Immunodeficiency Disorder/Auto Immune Disorder.

Male Circumcision and HIV: San Francisco's attempt to outlaw circumcision of minors and how it advances the cause of respecting the bodies of all children
A discussion of the proposed male infant circumcision ban in San Francisco, California. The backdrop to the proposed ban against male circumcision is Western's cultural abhorrence against female genital cutting. David Wilton states that "those who say banning male circumcision crosses a line that banning female circumcision does not, need to confront their bias." He then quotes comments from Inodnesian women about genital cutting of their daughters.
 

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Coffee and kids: Sigh!
A blogger accidentally deleted my comment, but she restored it. Yeah! She notes that circumcision is a big deal, even if men can restore their foreskin. It takes years for men to restore what the doctor cuts off in minutes. And, it is never exactly like the original equipment.