Francelle Wax, the director and producer of American Secret: The Circumcision Agenda: “Nobody is trying to ban circumcision; people are trying to make an age of consent”

Francelle Wax is the director and producer of:

American Secret: The Circumcision Agenda

a documentary on the unfortunately pervasive cultural rite of circumcision in the United States. In an interview conducted by Tom Beasily of An American Atheist, she shares some of her views on circumcision; those who are interested in helping her spread the message of the Intactivist Movement are encouraged to contribute funding for her documentary's Kickstarter project. Here is a recording of the discussion, and a transcript follows.

Brian Levitt: My body was used in some Jewish ritual

Brian Levitt is a Jewish intactivist living in San Francisco. He describes his own story of the stages of awakening consciousness.

Jonathon Conte: Channeling painful emotions into Intactivism

Jonathon Conte has dealt with painful emotions ever since he discovered that he was circumcised. He moved to San Francisco, California, and became an active member of the Bay Area Intactivists.

Van Lewis: Sex criminals for hire? Inquire within…

On December 17, 1970, Van Lewis made history when he and his younger brother, Ben, were arrested for demonstrating at:

Tallahassee Memorial Hospital

On the 40-year anniversary of their historic protest, Lewis planned to protest again on December 17, 2010 to remind us that human rights begin with respect for genital integrity.

(Also, see here for more information about George Wald).

Circumcision: The Big Transparent Lie

Harry Guiremand speaks candidly of his personal discoveries about circumcision and his efforts to bring evidence of its harm to the discussion.

Steven Svoboda: sexually-transmitted HIV occurs to adults

J. Steven Svoboda, founder and executive director of:

Attorneys for the Rights of the Child

discusses the curious medical history of circumcision, and the recent attempts by circumcision proponents [to rationalize circumcision as a solution] to HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Leonard B. Glick: Cultures Change

Jewish American scholar, Leonard Glick, speaks of his life, his academic career, his research on the history of circumcision, and his views on intactivism.

Penile and Foreskin Neurology: Circumcision is quite damaging

Ken McGrath discusses his research into the neural anatomy of the human penis and the physical damages caused by circumcision. He is:

• A Senior Lecturer in Pathology at the Faculty of Health, Auckland Uni­versity of Technology

• A member of the New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Scientists.

• Author of The Frenular Delta: A New Preputial Structure, published in:

  Understanding Circumcision: A Multi‑Disciplinary Approach to a Multi-Dimensional Problem, Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Genital Integrity: Safeguarding Fundamental Human Rights in the 21st Century, held 2000 December 7–9 in Sydney, Australia.

Intact America has first official Press Conference

Intact America is a new organization that was established “to change the way the [U.S.] thinks about male circumcision”. There was a press conference on 2009 June 22, about which more can be read in this official press release.

Unfortunately, it is often the case that people cast the issue of male and female genital cutting as 2 completely separate and mutually exclusive topics—and worse, opponents of male genital cutting are often derided as “misogynists” for not spending their efforts fighting a real injustice like female genital cutting.

The truth of the matter is that both female genital cutting and male genital cutting are genital cutting, and when this act is performed on non-consenting children—male or female—it is child abuse.

In a moving account of her own story, Soraya Miré—who was herself a victim of this abuse as a child—reaffirms the mutually inclusive nature of the fight against all forms of genital cutting, which she specifically calls genital mutilation regardless of gender.