North Dakota was the first state to legislate against genital mutilation. Minnesota also passed a Female Genital Mutilation law. New York, Colorado and California are each working on their own legislation.
Unlike the other states, North Dakota’s FGM law started out as a gender neutral bill which would provide protection for children, regardless of sex. We were unable to get adequate support for that bill, because legislators knew, even though it was not stated, that this bill, if passed, would make routine infant circumcision illegal in North Dakota. We had written an inclusive bill, but couldn’t generate enough support.
We decided to find another way. The bill was re-written to exclude the male circumcision issue by legislating protection for female minors only. This bill unanimously passed both the House and Senate and became law July 1, 1995.
To continue the Genital Integrity work, attorney Zenas Baer has agreed to take North Dakota’s FGM law to Federal Court. The law we wrote and worked to pass is unconstitutional (we knew that), it does not provide equal protection which the U.S. Constitution guarantees.
A Federal Court finding that minor males are as entitled to protection from genital trauma and surgery as are females will establish case law for the rest of the United States.
NOCIRC North Dakota needs $5,000 to fund the work to preserve the genital integrity of all children in North Dakota and the rest of the United States.
For additional information call Duane Voskuil at 701-222-3777 or Jody McLaughlin at 701-852-2822.
Make checks payable to NOCIRC and write Genital Integrity on the check.
| Location: The sumposium will be held in the Pareto Room (Number 271) of the Faculties of Human Sciences 1 Building at the University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland | Reservations will be made for a closing night dinner. If you wish to attend, please specify on your registration form. |
| Symposium Fees | Conference speakers are confirmed for all program dates; however, we reservce the right to replace speakers who are unable to attend because of medical or other emergencies. |
| Pre-Regisration (U.S. Dollars only): $45/session, $90/day, $250/entire program. | Cancellation requests must be made in writing and post- marked no later than July 25, 1996. A (US) $45 per person processing fee will be deducted from the refund, which will be returned within 60 days following the symposium. |
| On-Site Registration (Swiss Francs only): 60Sfr/session, 150Sfr/day, 350Sfr/entire program | Work scholarships available. English is the language of the sumposium. |