INTACT AMERICA MAKES AN IMPACT IN CINCINNATI

On October 3, 2013, Intact America hosted a press conference, peaceful sidewalk protest, and mobile billboard outside Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, where we presented a letter signed by more than 6,400 intactivists, demanding that Good Sam immediately cease its circumcision pain and bleeding study. And it's not too late to make a difference! Be sure to read our protest report below, but first, take action:

SIGN OUR LETTER: Add your name to our letter demanding that this study be stopped!

DONATE TO OUR CAMPAIGN: Help us keep the pressure on Good Sam by making a tax-free donation today!

Help us keep the pressure on Good Sam by making a tax-free donation today! SHOP OUR STORE: Show your support with Intact America T-shirts, baseball caps, and more in our online store!

GOOD SAMARITAN PROTEST REPORT FROM GEORGANNE CHAPIN

On October 3, 2013, more than fifty people gathered with me outside Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio to protest a circumcision clamp study taking place there. We were thrilled that intactivist luminaries including Marilyn Milos attended, and I was especially pleased to see so many new and young faces. Lots of young mothers brought their intact sons and daughters, including a young girl who held up a sign saying "Cut me, go to jail, cut my brother, get paid," and a young boy whose sign said "WHERE WAS MY CHOICE?"

Our mobile billboard was a tremendous hit, garnering reactions from passing cars, pedestrians, and even the media. Television reporters from local NBC affiliate WLWT, as well as WCPO Cincinnati, responded to our press release and showed up to covered our press conference. Yellow Springs News, a local paper, even printed my op-ed piece about the protest.

Many people had a strong reaction to our presence: some drove by shouting "I love being circumcised!" while others honked to show support. Countless people asked us why we were there, and listened with growing horror as we explained the nature of the circumcision study (measuring pain and blood loss in newborn babies during circumcision) happening inside the hospital.

Buzz about the protest was everywhere, from a hospital employee who blogged about us, to the barista at the local coffeehouse who showed her support and said, "I had no idea this was going on. Thank you for being here!" We saw dozens of people inside the hospital taking photos of the protest, and many came to speak with us as they were leaving the hospital. We encountered a great deal of anger, too. One man was very aggressive, physically menacing more than one of us. Towards the end of the day, a handful of nurses stormed out of the hospital and yelled at us. On the flip side, several nursing students came over and asked for more information, saying they were happy we were there. We handed out a flyer about why we were holding the protest (download the PDF here), as well as an informational sheet showing the different circumcision clamps (download the PDF here).

We know our presence and message made a difference because the hospital felt threatened enough to put out this weak, defensive statement: "The circumcision study compares two medically accepted circumcision processes. Only after the parent or guardian requests and consents to circumcision for their infant, is informed consent sought for this study; they are free to decline their child’s participation in this study. Steps to ensure pain relief are integral to the study protocol. Male infant circumcision has been practiced for centuries and is not among the procedures prohibited in the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services." We are preparing a formal response to Good Sam's statement.

Our protest could not have happened without the support of thousands of intactivists who signed our letter and donated to our campaign. Social change happens when a passionate community comes together and makes noise about injustice. We made noise on October 3, and lots of it. The fact that people got very angry is a huge sign that we are making a difference, making people think about the thousands of babies whose genitals are assaulted. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

Thank you to all who made our protest such a resounding success!





ADDITIONAL REPORTS FROM PROTEST PARTICIPANTS

Ron Low (a.k.a. TLC Tugger): The protest at Cincinnati last week was very uplifting because of the many new faces I met, including some fiercely well-spoken kids. I was delighted that local news channels are finally showing some interest in presenting the case for equal protection against forced genital cutting. While Cincinnati marked the first time anyone has taken a swing at me while I was demonstrating, it also surprised me by the sheer numbers of folks whoshowed up to speak for voiceless infants.

PHOTO ALBUM

Many photos were posted to the Intact America Facebook page, as well as Intact Ohio's Facebook page. People also posted photos and stories at the event page on Facebook.

Here's a shot of us with our signs (and this is just a fraction of the 50 people who protested!):

Our mobile billboard:

Georganne Chapin speaking at our press conference:

Marilyn Milos holding one of our most popular placards:

More protesters and their fabulous signs:

More Information About Intact America