San Francisco to Vote on Circumcision Ban

A ballot initiative in the Bay Area could lead to a showdown between religious groups and 'intactivists.'

Circumcision could be made illegal in San Francisco after a proposal to do just that was given approval to appear on municipal ballots this November. The “intactivist” movement's leader says the practice of cutting off the foreskin of a baby's penis is unnecessarily painful and violates an infant's right to choose what to do with his body. But religious groups, both Jewish and Muslim, are lining up to slam the proposal as unconstitutional, as circumcision is seen as a religious rite by both faiths. If passed, no one under the age of 18 living in San Francisco would be able to be circumcised, and a $1,000 fine or a year in jail would be imposed for violating the law.