(RNS) A new bill would make San Francisco’s proposed circumcision ban illegal before the city even votes on it.
The bill, filed this month by State Assemblyman Mike Gatto, a Los Angelos Democrat, would prohibit any California city or town from outlawing circumcision.
Gatto’s bill requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature for passage and the signature of Gov. Jerry Brown. It would then take effect immediately.
Proponents of the circumcision ban have collected the more than 7,168 signatures needed to place the measure on the city’s Nov. 8 ballot. If it passes, it would be the first in the nation to ban the circumcision of male minors for any reason except medical necessity.
“My primary reason for filing the bill is to protect parents and people who believe that circumcision has value as a medical procedure, or contributes to their sense of belonging to a group,” Gatto said.
Proponents of the circumcision ban call the practice “genital mutilation,” and say it causes severe pain and mental distress. If the measure passes, those convicted of violating the ban could be jailed for a year, fined $1,000 — or both.
Many Jews and Muslims, who practice ritual circumcision, consider the proposed ban a violation of their First Amendment right to religious freedom. The San Francisco attorney general’s office has also cast doubt on the legality of a ban.
