Glen Callender, Taylor Swift, and circumcision

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      For the second time in two weeks, the Canadian Foreskin Awareness Project plans to hold a protest outside a Vancouver concert venue.

      Tonight, the group founded by activist Glen Callender will be gathering at B.C. Place Stadium from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to send a message to Taylor Swift.

      “Taylor Swift fans are giving birth across the USA as we speak, and many of these American moms have not experienced the exquisite pleasures of the male foreskin for themselves,” Callender said in a news release. “But Swift has—in fact, her current beau Calvin Harris is Scotland-born, so it is overwhelmingly likely that his Scottish penis still has its Scottish kilt. If Swift were to endorse foreskin, the circumcision rate among Taylor Swift fans would swiftly plummet. It would be a victory for American foreskin, and a victory for America.”

      Callender and some of his associates held a demo outside the One Direction concert on July 17.

      This was triggered by an unconfirmed news report that Swift and 1D's Harry Styles feuded over his refusal to have his foreskin sliced.

      The World Health Organization has reported that male circumcision can reduce the transmission of heterosexually acquired HIV in men by 60 percent.

      In other news, researcher Robert Hogg of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS recently received a $6.5-million grant to study HIV rates in men who have sex with other men.

      Comments

      11 Comments

      exquisite pleasures????

      Aug 1, 2015 at 5:25pm

      Does this creep actually take his cause seriously?

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      Barry William Teske

      Aug 1, 2015 at 7:12pm

      Bravo Glen!

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      So it's reversible, is it?

      Aug 1, 2015 at 7:29pm

      He said "If Swift were to endorse foreskin, the circumcision rate among Taylor Swift fans would swiftly plummet." If this quote is correct, the man seems to have a misunderstanding of male anatomy -- once it's gone, it's gone, so the rate can't plummet. The rate can stay the same, or it can increase as more males become circumcised. Had he said .. among Taylor Swift fan's future male offspring... possibly their circumcision rate could plummet.

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      Natty

      Aug 1, 2015 at 7:31pm

      I have yet to meet a man who complains about having a circumsized d@#$. Heck, one of my friends was circumsized at age 28. He only told me because I thought his "surgical procedure" was cancer related. The media's gotta stop giving this guy attention.

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      Sandra Hippink

      Aug 1, 2015 at 9:25pm

      Circumcision is only recommended as a preventative measure to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in AFRICA, not in Canada, not in ANY developed nation. CONDOMS are far more effective than skinning the normal, healthy penises of infant males, and as a bonus, they help prevent many other STIs and unwanted pregnancies.
      There has been plenty of scientific evidence to point to the contrary of the effectiveness of circumcision as any kind of preventative measure, including the skewed, biased studies that came up with the 60% number in the first place, which ignored the numbers that did not fit their agenda.
      One glaring example is the USA's very high circumcision rate, coupled with its also very high HIV rate, higher than most any other developed nation that does not circumcise its males. USA's HIV rate is double that of Canada's, and Canada's circumcised rate is much lower.
      Canada's Medical Association and Pediatric Society stopped recommending circumcision in 1975. Unfortunately, some Canadians are still ignorant of this fact, and insist upon skinning their sons' normal, healthy penises. I hope that Taylor Swift does speak out in favour of the whole penis, and that the tabloid story about the reason for her break-up with Harry Styles is completely false. If young Canadian parents won't listen to medical professionals, maybe some will listen to celebrity endorsements.

      Great Job!

      Aug 1, 2015 at 10:59pm

      Thanks, Glen!

      My mom and dad refused to have me circumsized, and I'm very glad that I have an intact penis. And if an adult wants to have a circumcision, great---adults can modify their bodies in all sorts of ways that deny the child's bodily autonomy.

      But honestly, why would anyone want to remove the most sensitive part of the penis, except, as in Natty's friend's case, for a medically necessary reason?

      Fundamentally, circumcision is rooted in a denial of male sexuality and a denial of the worth of the natural male body; women complain quite rightly about norms concerning shaving, wearing makeup. But at least it is understood that female genital mutilation is criminal. So is male genital mutilation. The charter requires that both genders enjoy equal protection under the law!

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      Mark Lydon

      Aug 2, 2015 at 4:17am

      Go Glen! Except in very rare medical circumstances, everyone should be able to decide for themselves whether or not they have irreversible genital surgery. His body, his decision. I'd pay a year's salary rather than be circumcised. That little bit of skin makes a big difference.

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      Natty

      Aug 2, 2015 at 10:14am

      @Great job
      Actually, my friend was circumcised strictly for aesthetic purposes. I mistakenly thought he had cancer because he was being so mysterious about his surgery (which required 10 days off of work).

      @Natty

      Aug 2, 2015 at 5:15pm

      Well, he is in a small minority, and a cursory review of the literature will show all sorts of potential complications---but adults are allowed to do things that children should be protected from.

      Do you understand the psychological burden it places on a man to admit that he has been mutilated by the people who were supposed to love and protect him? Many will simply suffer without repudiating the conduct of their parents and seeking reconciliation and an accounting.

      As for your friend getting cut for aesthetic reasons, well, I suspect you would think any woman who had her genitals cut up for aesthetic reasons was weird.

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      Jack Perry

      Aug 4, 2015 at 7:21am

      The HIV info is bogus. The circumcision push in Africa is backfiring as cut men are getting HIV at a higher rate than natural men. Malawi HIV Infection Rate is said to have doubled since they pushed the cut. In the US cut and natural men get about the same HIV, HPV and STDs. EU, Japan and even Mexico have few cut men and have MUCH lower STD rates as compared to the US.

      The mutilation just causes sexual dysfunction-- a loss of sexual pleasure and function for life and the poor sods still need to wear CONDOMS!!!!!!!!!
      I don't understand how ANYONE ever bought the lie that if you let us cut off parts of your penis you probably won't get HIV"
      Are you freaking kidding me??

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