As a Brit I’ve often been slightly perplexed by America’s attachment to circumcision, where the majority of young boys still have their foreskins removed as babies, despite the fact that for most of them there is no real religious, legal or culturally necessary reason to do so. As I live in a land where the prepuce largely remains intact (barring for medical or religious reasons), it’s odd how passionate many Americans get about it. Indeed, when I’ve seen American doctors talking about why they still recommend it to their patients, the fact they so often seem to jump on the defensive suggests the may know it’s not as clear cut as they suggest (pun intended).

The documentary Pigs Without Blankets: The Penis Documentary wants to take a look at the world of ‘intactivists’, who go against the grain of American culture and advocate against circumcision. However, to get it made the makers are hoping to raise $25,000 via Kickstarter.

As they say on the fundrasing page, ‘Lots of people have a penis. And even more people are in some kind of relationship with one whether it’s romantic or parental. If you ask a man to list the things more important to him than his relationship with his penis, you’ll get a very short list. Yet, we don’t talk about what happens to most American penises. The fact that we never discuss a surgical procedure done to millions of American baby boys moments after their birth is, well, weird, to some. The fact that people become enraged and often hostile when the subject of circumcision is discussed is even weirder. We want viewers to meet the group of people who fight against circumcision, discover what motivates them, and understand why they feel the best penis is the one left intact. Help us tell their stories, and help us shed light on a practice.’

They are also very correct when they point out, ‘Many people in the US think penises are strange or “gross” in their natural state. Step back a moment and think about how bizarre it is that unless the penis has been surgically altered it’s considered abnormal.’

The likes of actor Alan Cumming are involved in the documentary – as you can see in the fundraising video below he describes himself as an intactivist – as well as others who are part of the fight to inform people about the facts about circumcision and advocate against considering it the default option. They may not have made too many inroads yet, possibly because so many Americans don’t even consider it an issue that needs to be thought about, but perhaps this documentary can give them a bit more of a voice.

In the UK, it does indeed seem strange that you would chop off a part of your new baby for no real good reason – even the idea it can protect you from STDs is hotly disputed – especially considering the risks (every year kids around the world end up with severely damaged penises due to bothched circumcisions), and the fact you’re doing something unnecessary that will affect them for the rest of their life, but which they have no choice over. Plus, while some Americans may think foreskins look weird, I can’t see why they prefer something that when erect, often looks obviously scarred.

If you’d like to see the film, head over to Kickstarter and help out. [Read more…]