Circumcision ban to be on San Francisco ballot

NEWS BRIEFS: Circumcision ban to be on San Francisco ballot

Posted on May 19, 2011 | by Staff
SAN FRANCISCO (BP)–San Francisco citizens will vote this November whether to ban the circumcision of male children, a first-in-the-nation type of initiative that, if passed, could be struck down in court as a violation of religious freedom.

The group behind the initiative needed 7,168 signatures and got 7,743, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. It would make it illegal to circumcise males under 18, and would punish violators with a fine of $1,000 and up to a year in jail. The initiative has no religious exceptions, the Associated Press reported.

“Parents are really guardians, and guardians have to do what’s in the best interest of the child. It’s his body. It’s his choice,” initiative supporter Lloyd Schofield told AP.

Rabbi Gil Yosef Leeds of Berkeley said he has received lots of concerned phone calls from Jewish friends about the initiative. He is confident it will be struck down even if it passes.

“For a city that’s renowned for being progressive and open-minded, to even have to consider such an intolerant proposition … it sets a dangerous precedent for all cities and states,” Leeds told AP.