Why should you join us in protesting against MGM in a few days’ time? Because, if you have an ounce of humanity, you will want to do all you can to end this:
Do you have something more important to do next Sunday and Monday, than protest against the non-therapeutic mutilations of infant boys’ genitals? Really?
We’ll be supporting Men Do Complain (MDC), a hardworking anti-MGM campaigning organization, at a protest outside the Manchester Central venue, during the first two days of the Conservative party conference – Sunday 4 October, and Monday 5 October. We’ll be handing out thousands of leaflets (A4, printed both sides) to politicians, delegates, the media, and others. More on the protest later in this blog post.
Regular followers of this blog know our #1 campaigning issue for the foreseeable future will be the non-therapeutic genital mutilation of male minors (henceforth ‘MGM’). It was one of 20 areas covered in our election manifesto (pp.9,10). Anyone who doesn’t understand why we consider MGM a grave assault upon the human rights of men and boys might like to familiarise themselves with some or all of the following materials:
William Collins’s blog piece (which explains, among much else, that the prime purpose of MGM is to diminish men’s pleasure during sex)
Global Survey on Circumcision Harm
A man circumcised when he was 18 years old reflects on the impact of the procedure
Mike Buchanan’s presentation to the 2015 AGM of 15 Square, Britain’s foremost anti-MGM charity
We know that MGM has long been illegal in the UK – as an injury of an individual who cannot give informed consent – from a talk given by a prominent barrister in 2013. He also explained in detail how MGM contravenes UN and EU conventions.
In recent months we’ve learned more about Men Do Complain – MDC – a very active and dedicated anti-MGM organization, and have been highly impressed with their level of commitment. Their video channel is here.
We’ll be supporting MDC in a protest outside the Conservative party conference in the afternoon and evening of Sunday 4 October, the first day of the conference, when there will be plenty of media around to record (video as well as audio) what’s going on both inside and outside the conference centre. We’ll also be protesting the following day, Monday 5 October.
We invite you to join us, please email me mike@j4mb.org.uk if you expect to be there.
It surely doesn’t need to be said, but our protests will be respectful and non-violent, and we expect those who oppose our views to be likewise. Some of the women who support MDC and J4MB will be joining us, and we’ll capture the event – including any disturbances – with our own video equipment, for possible later publication on MDC and J4MB video channels.
We shall be handing out joint MDC/J4MB leaflets to politicians, delegates, and others, explaining the case for the government to make MGM specifically illegal at the earliest opportunity. It’s time for gender equality:
FGM has been specifically illegal in the UK since 1985 – 30 years ago.
The more people that attend the protests, the more impact we’ll make. Thank you for your support of our campaign to spare male babies, infants, and children, the harm that is caused by MGM.
Circumcision is genital mutilation plain and simple. Democratic constitution prohibits bodily mutilations as physical harm.
It is not allowed to be performed on girls,it must not be allowed to be performed on boys either.