Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Bill That Heads Off Local Ban on Circumcisions
Categories: Health
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| Intactivists hopes are snipped -- for good |
Lawmakers passed the bill last month, claiming a circumcision ban would strip people of their religious freedom and medical rights.
The bill was signed into law just two months after a judge cut San Francisco's controversial circumcision ban from the November ballot, saying it would violate state law that prevents cities and counties from regulating medical services. Attorneys for proponents of the ban argued that circumcisions are the equivalent of genital mutilation, something from which state law protects females. But that argument didn't fly with lawmakers, who recognized that circumcision is a deep tradition among some religious groups.
San Francisco's Jewish community filed a lawsuit attempting to block the local ban, which would have prevented anyone from snipping off the foreskin of a male younger than 18; religious leaders argued that there are huge health benefits to circumcision, including a reduced risk of HIV.
Amid that legal battle, Assemblyman Mike Gatto, (D-Burbank) along with Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) introduced A.B. 768, explaining that this would prevent local governments from creating their own "patchwork of regulations" to deal with medical procedures recognized by the state, which includes circumcision.
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