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ARC Activities - Presentations

Padua Symposium

We attended the biannual symposium held in Padua, Italy in September 2004, presenting a talk on genital integrity and gender equity. In Padua, we also participated on a legal panel with several other attorneys including ARC Board Member David Llewellyn and ARC Advisory Board Members John Geisheker and Zenas Baer. ARC had a table in the presenter's room that was stocked with our T-shirts, business cards, articles, photos, newsletters, and other material. We also participated in media interviews during our time there. Padua may have been the most successful and impressive NOCIRC symposium we have ever attended. As usual, an ARC subgroup formed and held informal meetings during the symposium.

Invited Presentations at Conferences of Experts on Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Our presentation on July 13, 1999 in Denver before approximately 200 physicians at the Thirteenth Meeting of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research (ISSTDR) was well received. Our talk, entitled, "Where, Science, Ethics, and Human Rights Meet," concluded the panel on "Male Circumcision, STD, and HIV: Science, Ethics, and Controversy." I discussed various aspects of male circumcision including an overview of its anthropological and historical roots, ethics, law, and human rights. I said the burden of proof must lie with proponents of this amputative surgery and that no religious exception exists to excuse a physician's potential ethical and legal liability, particularly given that the religion of the patient cannot be known at the time of the operation. Comments after the panel ran overwhelmingly in favor of not performing non-medically indicated surgery on unconsenting minors.

We received a substantial honorarium and were invited to Berlin for the Fourteenth Meeting of the ISSTDR, where on June 26, 2001 we presented "Circumcision as a Preventive for HIV: Reconciling Science, Ethics, and Human Rights."

Jamaica Gender Transition Movement Leaders' Conferences - In late November 2000, ARC participated in the Fifth Gender Transition Movement Leaders' Conference, a week-long strategy meeting of leaders in various aspects of the gender transition movement. In 1999 and 1997, we also participated in this very valuable and rewarding event organized by author Dr. Warren Farrell, each time delivering presentations updating the participants on ARC's work and on developments in the movement to protect children's rights to genital integrity. Among various promising developments, ARC developed closer ties with the Men's Health Network and the National Black Men's Health Network.

Chicago Conference - On April 16, 1999, we presented Friday's closing talk at the Chicago "Circumcision Update: Medical, Ethical and Legal Issues" conference organized by NOCIRC. Our presentation was entitled "National and International Laws Defending Children from Genital Mutilation." The presentation surveyed pertinent statutory and human rights law and also delved into an overview of the intactivist political movement which is one of the leading forces today struggling to "put the heart back in the law." Immediately following this presentation, we participated on a "panel of experts" along with other activists.

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Selected Presentations

"Legal Panel and Discussion," Eighth International Symposium on Circumcision and Human Rights, Padua, Italy, September 3, 2004 (with Zenas Baer, Georgeanne Chapin, John V. Geisheker, and David Llewellyn).

"Genital Integrity and Gender Equity," Eighth International Symposium on Circumcision and Human Rights,Padua, Italy, September 3, 2004.

"Attorneys for the Rights of the Child," Genital Integrity Awareness Week , Washington, D.C., April 3, 2003.

"Educating the United Nations About Male Circumcision," Seventh International Symposium on Human Rights and Modern Society, Washington, D.C., April 5, 2002.

"Oral Intervention Requesting United Nations Acknowledgement of Male Circumcision as a Human Rights Violation," at 52nd Annual Session of United Nations Sub-Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland, August 14, 2001. www.arclaw.org/UN/OralArg.html.

"Circumcision as a Preventive for HIV: Reconciling Science, Ethics, and Human Rights," 14th Meeting of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research, Berlin, June 26, 2001 [paper co-author Robert S. Van Howe, M.D.].

"Circumcision as a Prevention for HIV: Bad Science, Questionable Ethics, a Human Rights Violation," Genital Integrity: A New Awareness, Washington, D.C., March 31, 2001.

"Comparative Analysis of Body Mutilation Practices on Children," Sixth International Symposium on Genital Integrity, Sydney, Australia, December 8, 2000.

"Exciting New Developments at Attorneys for the Rights of the Child and Update on Legal Devleopments," at Fifth Jamaica Gender Transition Movement Leaders' Conference, Port Antonio, Jamaica, November 19, 2000.

"Rethinking Newborn Circumcision: What Physicians who Perform Them Think, and What Lawyers Want Them to Know," with Dr. Chris Fletcher, St. Vincent Hospital, Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 26, 2000.

On September 10, 2000, Tim Hammond of NOHARMM, Tina Kimmel of NOCIRC-Berkeley, and J. Steven Svoboda made a presentation to the Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender-Intersexual chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as to why the chapter and the ACLU should adopt a proposed resolution on genital integrity.

In August 1999, we travelled to New York City and gave two presentations on circumcision on August 5 and August 10, 1999. The first took place at Caravan of Dreams restaurant with Laurie Evans of NOCIRC of New York" Mid-Hudson Valley, and the second was sponsored by the Wetlands organization and co-presented with anti-FGM activist Rana Badri of Equality Now! The audience response was extremely gratifying at both events, as many audience members had their eyes opened for the first time to the harm caused by male circumcision..

On April 6, 1999, along with Tim Hammond and Leland Traiman, both of NOHARMM, and again on November 4, 1999, without any co-presenters, we gave very well-received 1.5-hour presentations regarding circumcision in a class on male sexuality at the University of California at Berkeley.

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Presentations by Year

2002

"Educating the United Nations About Male Circumcision," at Seventh International Symposium on Human Rights and Modern Society, Washington, DC, April 5, 2002.

2001

"Oral Intervention Requesting United Nations Acknowledgement of Male Circumcision as a Human Rights Violation," at 52nd Annual Session of United Nations Sub-Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, Geneva, Switzerland, August 14, 2001, www.arclaw.org/UN/OralArg.html.

"Circumcision as a Preventive for HIV: Reconciling Science, Ethics, and Human Rights," in panel entitled, "Circumcision and Violence," 14th Meeting of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research, Berlin, June 26, 2001 [paper co-author Robert S. Van Howe, M.D.].

"Circumcision as a Prevention for HIV: Bad Science, Questionable Ethics, a Human Rights Violation," Genital Integrity: A New Awareness, Washington, D.C., March 31, 2001.

2000

"Comparative Legal Analysis of Body Mutilation Practices on Children," at Sixth International Symposium on Genital Integrity, Sydney, Australia, December 7, 2000.

"Exciting New Developments at Attorneys for the Rights of the Child and Update on Legal Developments," at Fifth Jamaica Gender Transition Movement Leaders’ Conference, Port Antonio, Jamaica, November 19, 2000.

"Rethinking Newborn Circumcision: What Physicians Who Perform Them Think, and What Lawyers Want Them to Know," September 26, 2000, St. Vincent Hospital, Santa Fe, New Mexico (with Christopher Fletcher, M.D.).

"Male Circumcision: An Issue of Relevance to the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Community," September 10, 2000, Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender-Intersexual Chapter, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), San Francisco, California (with Tim Hammond and Tina Kimmel).

1999

"Updated Report On The Work of Attorneys for the Rights of the Child." Fourth Jamaica Men's Movement Leaders' Conference, Fisherman's Cove, Jamaica, November 27, 1999.

"Male Circumcision," presentation by J. Steven Svoboda to Male Sexuality class at the University of California at Berkeley, November 4, 1999.

"Male Circumcision," presentation by J. Steven Svoboda, with Rana Badri, Equality Now! presenting on female genital mutilation, at the Wetlands Preserve, New York City, August 10, 1999.

"Male Circumcision," with Laurie Evans, NOCIRC--New York, at Caravan of Dreams, New York City, August 5, 1999.

"Where Science, Ethics, and Human Rights Meet," concluding presentation in panel entitled "Male Circumcision, STD, and HIV: Science, Ethics, and Controversy," Thirteenth Meeting of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research, Denver, July 13, 1999. Other panelists Robert S. Van Howe, Thomas Wiswell, Stephen Moses, and Richard Hayes.

"National and International Laws Defending Children from Genital Mutilation," and participant on "Panel of Experts," both at National Organization of Circumcision Information Resource Centers (NOCIRC) Regional Conference, "Circumcision Update: Medical, Ethical and Legal Issues," April 16, 1999.

"Male Circumcision," presentation with Tim Hammond and Leland Traiman to Male Sexuality class at the University of California at Berkeley, April 6, 1999.

1998

"Male Circumcision as Male Sexual Victimization--A Roundtable Discussion to Promote Re-Examination of Its Role in Our Lives and Healing from the Wounds," with Tim Hammond and Jim Bigelow, West Coast Retreat of the National Organization for Male Sexual Victimization, Watsonville, California, September 25, 1998.

"Attaining International Acknowledgment of Male Genital Mutilation as a Human Rights Violation, and a Written Intervention" at Fifth International Symposium on Sexual Mutilations, Oxford, England, August 6, 1998.

1997

"The Work of Attorneys for the Rights of the Child." Second Jamaica Men's Movement Leaders' Conference, Fisherman's Cove, Jamaica, November 24, 1997.

"Male Circumcision as Male Sexual Victimization--Learning to Effectively Protect and Treat Male Children," with Tim Hammond, at the Seventh Interdisciplinary Conference on Male Sexual Victimization, Orinda, California, September 19, 1997.

1996

"Routine Infant Male Circumcision: Examining the Human Rights and Constitutional Issues," at Fourth International Symposium on Sexual Mutilations, Lausanne, Switzerland, August 10, 1996.

"Routine Infant Circumcision: Examining the Legal & Constitutional Issues," with Wayne Hampton, Tim Hammond, Marilyn Milos, Tom Morris, Miriam Pollack, and Leland Traiman. Student Center, Kendrick Hall, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, March 7, 1996.

"Routine Infant Circumcision: Examining the Legal & Constitutional Issues," with Tim Hammond, Wayne Hampton, Martin Novoa, and Leland Traiman. University of San Francisco Law School, San Francisco, February 22, 1996.

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