SEXIS WRONG

other half,” said Dr. Arif Bhimji, a Newmarket emergency
room physician.
In February 2002 the College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Saskatchewan warned physicians against routine circumcision
of newborn male infants and essentially told doctors
who perform the surgery based solely on parental preference
to consult their lawyers! 31
In France, journalist Michel Orcel has pointed out the absurdity
of arguing over Muslim head-scarf law when “ritual circumcision
is still an elective amputation done on a subject
who cannot resist mentally or physically.” He says Article 16-
3 of the French Civil Code is perfectly clear: “The physical
integrity of a person cannot be violated except in cases of
medical necessity. The consent of the person must be obtained
beforehand except in cases where the person’s condition
necessitates a therapeutic intervention to which the
person is incapable of giving consent...”
In the US, attorney J. Steven Svoboda, a former Human
Rights Fellow at Harvard Law School, recently founded Attorneys
for the Rights of the Child. “Our position is that circumcision
is medical malpractice,” he explains. “The medical
profession, which has perpetuated this tragic disfigurement
of baby boys’ genitals, will now be challenged by an organization
of legal professionals.”
The courts are considering many cases. Samples: On July
22, 1995, a jury in Montgomery, Alabama, found Jackson
Hospital and Clinic guilty of negligence in a case where a
newborn was mistakenly circumcised against his mother’s
wishes. The minor plaintiff was awarded $65,000. More recently,
a Suffolk County, New York teen won an undisclosed
settlement from a hospital and the doctor who circumcised
him. He sued because his mother’s permission was obtained
while she was debilitated by the effects of a Caesarian section
and painkillers—a common scenario.
“Never again can someone say that a young man who is dissatisfied
with his circumcision as an infant is being frivolous
when he objects to his mutilation and brings suit to obtain
justice,” says Llewellyn, his attorney.
Based in Georgia, Llewellyn’s firm specializes in “wrongful
circumcision” and has handled about twenty cases, such as
where the mother opposes the father’s desire to have their
son circumcised.
“Doctors need to be sued,” he says. “The only thing people
seem to understand is lawsuits and money.”
He believes it is women who need to take up this issue and
defend their sons. “Fathers aren’t going to do it because they
won’t acknowledge the wrong that has been done to them.”
And the only way the circumcision rate will be reversed, Kristen
O’Hara contends, is to make people aware that women
are the primary victims, since they are the ones who enduring
discomfort, punishing blows, and lack of orgasm.
“The man suffers too, of course, because when women lose
interest in sex, men are deprived. And when it ultimately
affects the love bond, and can lead to divorce, it’s a tragedy
for everyone.”
Endnotes
1. A conservative figure, according to restoration activist Ron Low of
Chicago. 2. Taylor, John. The Ridged Band website . 3. “The oldest documentary evidence for circumcision
comes from Egypt. Tomb artwork from the Sixth Dynasty (2345 -
2181 BC) shows men with circumcised penises.... The examination of
Egyptian mummies has found both circumcised and uncircumcised
men.” “Circumcision,” Wikipedia [www.wikipedia.com], accessed 14
June 2005. 4. Taylor, John, A.P. Lockwood, A.J. Taylor. “The Prepuce:
Specialized Mucosa of the Penis and Its Loss to Circumcision.” British
Journal of Urology, Vol. 77 (1996): 291-5. 5. O’Hara, Kristen and Jeffrey.
Sex As Nature Intended It. Hudson, Mass.: Turning Point Publications,
2002: 141. 6. See how the foreskin works in animation: . 7. Bullough, Vern L., and Bonnie
Bullough, eds. Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland
Pub., 1994: 119-22. 8. Simple tape—a man stretches his shaft skin then
tapes it in place and applies tension with a strap or string; devices such
as the TugAhoy ; RECAP method or . For other options, check
. 9. The full title is The Joy of Uncircumcising!:
Exploring History, Myths, Psychology, Restoration, Sexual Pleasure and
Human Rights, 2nd ed. by Jim Bigelow, Ph.D. Hourglass, 1995. 10. She
went on to found NOCIRC, the National Organization of Circumcision
Information Resource Centers. 11. For more details see . 12. Northrup is author of Women’s
Bodies, Women’s Choices (1998), The Wisdom of Menopause (2003),
and Mother-Daughter Wisdom (2005). 13. O’Hara and others defend
describing male circumcision as genital mutilation. 14. Goldman, Ron.
Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma—How an American Cultural Practice
Affects Infants and Ultimately Us All. Vanguard Publications, 1997: 73.
15. For a complete discussion, see Ritter, Thomas J., MD, and George
C. Denniston, MD. Say No to Circumcision!: 40 Compelling Reasons,
second edition. Hourglass Book Publishing, 1996. 16. Fleiss, with
Frederick Hodges, has written “Nontherapeutic Circumcision Should
Not Be Performed.” American Medical News, 38.26 (17 July 1995).
17. Angel, Money. Treatment of Disease in Children. Philadelphia: P.
Blakiston. 1887. 18. Crossland, Jefferson C., MD. “The Hygiene of
Circumcision.” New York Medical Journal, 1891. 19. Op cit., Coleman:
60. 20. Op cit., Coleman: 293. 21. . 22.
Coleman discusses the long-term psychological effects of circumcision
on children and adults, pp 82-123. 23. Glick, Leonard B. Marked in Your
Flesh: Circumcision From Ancient Judea to Modern America. Oxford
University Press, 2005: 29. 24. Ibid: 31. 25. Ibid: 67. 26. Schoen’s procircumcision
website is . 27. Somerville, Margaret
A. The Ethical Canary: Science, Society and the Human Spirit. Toronto:
Viking/Penguin Canada: 202-19. Also: .
28. . 29. Aldeeb’s homepage:
. 30. Jenkins, Mark. “Separated at Birth:
Did Circumcision Ruin Your Sex Life?” Men’s Health, July/Aug 1998.
31. For more legal cases, see .
290 EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT SEX IS WRONG