A proposal to criminalize male circumcision will go before San Francisco voters this November after the Department of Elections verified Tuesday that supporters have gathered enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot.
Proponents of the circumcision ban submitted 12,271 signatures to the city’s Department of Elections, which was able to verify 7,743 of them, a clerk with the department said today. The measure needed a minimum of 7,168 to qualify.
The organizer of the campaign, Lloyd Schofield, has said he believes male circumcision is wrong, and likens it to female circumcision practices already banned in the U.S.
Local religious groups have strongly opposed the proposal, which they say impinges on their constitutional rights to religious freedom.
The measure would punish people who circumcise a minor with a fine of up to $1,000 or up to a year in jail.
Schofield said today of the certification, “Obviously we’re very pleased, it was a lot of work for a lot of people … and we look forward to continuing that outreach and discussion with the people of San Francisco.”
More information about the initiative is available at www.sfmgmbill.org.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
Want more news, sent to your inbox every day? Then how about subscribing to our email newsletter? Here’s why we think you should. Come on, give it a try.
