Wisdom for the savvy Intactivist
As an Intactivist, I have always claimed that intact genitals have the highest value among the available alternatives. I have always worked from the perspective of protecting children from harmful genital cutting. I use physical harm as the objective measure of harm rather than relying on cultural relativism or subjective standpoints which might excuse this harm.
We all have the tough and thankless job of taking on the American cultural standard of circumcision. We have had to work hard against mainstream opinions and at times it seems like an impossible task.
Using the phrase “genital autonomy” to call for an end to infant circumcision is like using the phrase “labor autonomy” to call for the end of slavery. Technically, it is true and definitely a worthy goal, but as a name and as a message it suffers from several insufficiencies.
