# Genital mutilation of young girls. But it's a religious thing! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 23, 2017, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057 "2017-04-23T11:44:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/502 "2018-12-06T20:31:25Z")
So Andy: when I am trying to get it through to you why it’s offensive to even consider discussion of MGM a “hijack”, you really think I’m going to go to a “hijack prevention thread”? :dubious: “Officer Andy, you’ve got the wrong guy. I didn’t do it.” “Okay, sure: just sign this confession and we’ll fit you for an orange jumpsuit, then we can discuss it down at Sing Sing.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/503 "2018-12-06T22:10:50Z")
Here’s a lecture from bioethicist Brian Earp, who explains the “collision course” in the law regarding the differential treatment of male and female genital cutting. [Why cutting ANY child’s genitals is wrong: female, male, or intersex](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQQTIpBWqvY) … and why anti-FGM campaigns are at risk of losing ground in the fight for children’s rights. > [@Brian Earp](#): > > In this talk, I argue that efforts to eliminate female genital cutting will only be successful in the long run if they are divorced from contestable empirical claims concerning health risks, which (1) apply mostly to the ‘extreme’ forms of the practice and (2) may only lead to the “medicalization” of FGC (or a transition to its less invasive forms). Instead, they should be tied to a sex and gender-neutral (that is, human) right to genital autonomy and bodily integrity as applied to children. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/504 "2018-12-06T22:14:36Z")
Would you PLEASE take it to the new thread? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/505 "2018-12-06T22:17:26Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Would you PLEASE take it to the new thread? Are you fucking serious?!? His post references FGM several times! ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/506 "2018-12-06T22:26:02Z")
His post references FGM in that it says that the fight against FGM is somehow harmful. Aka the same stupid hateful crap you two have been spewing all along. ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/507 "2018-12-06T22:33:09Z")
They will not stop so Faisez bien gaffe parce que moi j’ai mon super gilet jaune ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/508 "2018-12-06T22:51:35Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > His post references FGM in that it says that the fight against FGM is somehow harmful. Aka the same stupid hateful crap you two have been spewing all along. Soo…only one type of opinion about FGM is allowed in this thread? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/509 "2018-12-06T22:56:13Z")
Faisez bien gaffe parce que moi j’ai mon super gilet jaune ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/510 "2018-12-06T23:02:45Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Faisez bien gaffe parce que moi j’ai mon super gilet jaune Mais c’est _moi_ qui est le troll? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/511 "2018-12-06T23:08:50Z")
Faisez bien gaffe parce que moi j’ai mon super gilet jaune ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/512 "2018-12-06T23:09:21Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Would you PLEASE take it to the new thread? Unlike the slacker’s description of how he mastubates, or blalron’s previous posts about the fine details of the foreskin, this one does look sorta relevant, imo. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/513 "2018-12-06T23:27:58Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Unlike the slacker’s description of how he mastubates, or blalron’s previous posts about the fine details of the foreskin, this one does look sorta relevant, imo. And I think the introduction of the related category of intersex genital cutting is interesting, although if it’s ruled a hijack I will shut up about it. For those who, like me, seek more efficently consumable alternatives to the resolutely post-literate format of podcasts and videos that constitute **SlackerInc** ’s typical cites, [here’s an article](http://theconversation.com/how-different-are-female-male-and-intersex-genital-cutting-77569) co-authored by the speaker in that video link and discussing the same issue. > [@](#): > > In fact, childhood genital cutting is usually divided not just into two, but three separate categories: “FGM” for females; “circumcision” for males; and “genital normalisation” surgery for intersex children – those born with ambiguous genitals or mixed sex characteristics. > > In Western countries, popular attitudes towards these procedures differ sharply depending on the child’s sex. In females, any medically unnecessary genital cutting, no matter how minor or sterilised, is seen as an intolerable violation of her bodily integrity and human rights. Most Westerners believe that such cutting must be legally prohibited. > > In intersex children, while it is still common for doctors to surgically modify their genitals without a strict medical justification, there is growing opposition to non-essential “cosmetic” surgeries, designed to mould ambiguous genitalia into a “binary” male or female appearance. […] > > In male children, by contrast, the dominant view is that boys are not significantly harmed by being circumcised […] > > But these attitudes are starting to change. Over the past few decades, and even more strongly in recent years, scholars of genital cutting have argued that there is too much overlap in the physical effects, motivations, and symbolic meanings of these three practices – when their full range across societies is considered – for categorical distinctions based on sex or gender to hold up. ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/514 "2018-12-06T23:34:58Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Unlike the slacker’s description of how he mastubates, or blalron’s previous posts about the fine details of the foreskin, this one does look sorta relevant, imo. It looks like “You should really take up my cause,” again. That’s what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/515 "2018-12-06T23:56:54Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Faisez bien gaffe parce que moi j’ai mon super gilet jaune [Moderating] **Ramira** , we ask that posters here post in English, otherwise we can’t effectively moderate the content of their posts. Please do not make posts entirely in non-English languages. No warning issued. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/516 "2018-12-07T19:58:30Z")
It seems that in spite of all the whining about this BBQ Pit thread being hijacked, and how we need a totally separate segregated thread on FGM, nobody has started one in Great Debates yet. The moderators have expressed a willingness to keep a thread in GD totally on topic. That’s interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/517 "2018-12-08T01:27:03Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > It seems that in spite of all the whining about this BBQ Pit thread being hijacked, and how we need a totally separate segregated thread on FGM, nobody has started one in Great Debates yet. The moderators have expressed a willingness to keep a thread in GD totally on topic. That’s interesting. What it means is that a lot of us (I feel confident in using that word) get worn down with all the misogynist shit that goes on here. Don’t read anything more into it than that. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/518 "2018-12-08T16:23:18Z")
As far as I’ve been able to ascertain, every culture that cuts the genitals of girls also cuts into the genitals of boys. The outliers here are the United States and Israel, which only cuts the genitals of male children. But I’ve haven’t been able to find any cultures that only cut girls and leave boys alone. It seems genital cutting cultures either discriminate against boys, or are equal opportunity cutters. If anyone wants to find a contrary example, I’d like to see it. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/519 "2018-12-08T16:24:22Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > What it means is that a lot of us (I feel confident in using that word) get worn down with all the misogynist shit that goes on here. Don’t read anything more into it than that. I get worn down from false accusations of misogyny by the misandrists on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/520 "2018-12-08T16:42:48Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > I get worn down from false accusations of misogyny by the misandrists on this board. Have you considered fucking off? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2018, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/521 "2018-12-08T17:08:35Z")
Article from The John Marshall Law Review Winter 1999 [State Laws Criminalizing Female Circumcision: A Violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, 32 J. Marshall L. Rev. 353 (1999)](https://repository.jmls.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1579&context=lawreview) > [@](#): > > CONCLUSION > Both male and female circumcision are medically unnecessary > procedures that can cause children to experience physical and > psychological harm. State legislatures enacted FGM statutes to > protect female minors from circumcision complications, but never > extended the same legal protection to male children. This > Comment does not suggest that female circumcision is less > important than male circumcision or that it is not a serious, > human rights problem. However, here in the United States male > minors face circumcision on a wider scale, yet they are not legally > protected from this painful, medically unnecessary procedure. > Laws criminalizing female circumcision are a step in the right > direction toward protecting child welfare. However, all children > are at risk of being circumcised and yet currently only half are > protected under these laws. > State FGM laws violate the constitutional guarantee that > similarly situated males and females be treated equally before the > law. Notwithstanding a state government’s good intentions, and > its legal prerogative to protect young girls from an injurious > procedure, the state must extend the same legal protections to > boys at risk for a similar procedure. Striking down > unconstitutional FGM statutes and replacing them with gender > neutral, generally applicable laws will protect all children from > harm and further the state’s legitimate interest in protecting child > welfare without discriminating on the basis of gender [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057.md?page=27)