San Francisco May Vote on Circumcision Ban

San Francisco voters may be called on to decide whether to ban male circumcision in November. Ballot initiative proponent Lloyd Schofield called the measure a “human rights issue,” the San Francisco Examiner reported.

Schofield said he will have the necessary 7,168 signatures to get the initiative on the November ballot by the deadline of April 26. The measure would make it illegal to “circumcise, excise, cut or mutilate the foreskin, testicle or penis of another person who has not attained the age of 18,” the newspaper said.

Schofield said he and others are approaching residents and asking, “Would you like to help protect the children from forced circumcision? This is a human-rights issue.” Schofield became interested in the issue after attending a symposium and was approached by those supporting federal legislation, the Examiner said.

The measure carries penalties of a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail for those who violate it. “I always knew this was something wrong to do to a child,” he told the paper.