Georgia bans genital piercing
 

This could arguably go in either politics or sexuality... but seems like a topic ripe for general discussion.

Linky: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...ital_piercings

I love my home state... but at times like this, I cringe. Look, a pierced clit ain't my thing, but making it illegal? C'mon!

I think something is missing here... Generally speaking I think they (most likely) are reacting to some cultures desire to perform clitorectomies on their daughters/women. A despicable practice.

What they've come up with goes beyond that...

I'd like to see the feminist's reaction to this. On the one hand you have something very positive (ban on mutilation) but you discriminate consenting females to get pierced and not males. This will just end up causing more home-grown piercings and the resulting infections and complications for those who don't do it properly, or at best causing females tro go the neighboring states to get it done. Considering the number of women who want genital piercings is rather low I'd rather see this ban than see one more female child have their sexuality ripped (or cut as it where) from them before they can realize it's potential. Banning choice is not good, but this is at least a step in the right direction for a heinous crime against women.

You crazy Americans...

:-)


Mr Mephisto

Im guessing that everyone of those 160 peolple that voted are all over 65 and just "don't understand kids these days." According to this article it still sounds like it is ok for guys to get genital piercings... Is it legal for a state to put a law into place that is so sexually biased?

*CRIES*

If someone wants to fight it, they shouldn't have too much of a problem. It's very discriminatory and even excludes people who want it done.

i am sure someone with some money will battle this in court, and try to get a legal definition for the difference between mutilation and adornment.

I wonder how many of the male members (koff) of the Georgia House are circumsized?

There is a small but vocal contingent of folks who believe that male circumcision is tanamount to mutilation.

What?! Me?!!

MUTILATED?!!

<hangs head in shame>



Mr Mephisto

well i guess you could always get it done out of state(who's going to really check?) .still sucks though for the piercing people. i do think genital mutilation is wrong just not piercings since they usually add to pleasure than take it away.

Thank God we've won the War on Terrorism. Now we can focus on the War on the Vagina.

Fuck that. I wanna be there for the protests.

Picture it now... hundreds of girls with no pants on with thier clits pierced. It's like Heaven... but in the South.

"Let freedom ring." :mad:

That's it! Freedom clit rings! Anyone want to start a small business?

wow thats just amazing....sounds like something that crazy texas conservatives might do *knocks on wood*
i understand outlawing genital mutilation, bc that's just wrong
but outlawing piercings? *shakes head*

Im with you OK! Lets start our own "Ride Across America For the Freedom of The Clit Ring". Along the way, we could collect pictures of women with metal in there heyheys and post 'em all over the Georgia Governor's Mansion.

There's a dup thread of this in "Politics".

LOL,

Yep, worry about pierced clits. Don't they have anything more important to worry about down there in Georgia.

If they outlaw clit piercings, only outlaws will have pierced clits.

Circumscision is mutilation by definition. I want my foreskin back!

Because this applies only to women, and because it is possible for men to have analagous operations, this violates the equal protection clause and will be struck down just as soon as it meets a judge with an ounce of brains and integrity.

Two to 20 years in prison? ::whistles::

You'd think that getting that pierced would be painful enough. Though, I wonder how popular that kind of act of defiance would make a woman in prison.

"Lick this, bitch!"

That's incredible sad.

Their intentions were noble in wanting to abolish genital mutilation, but a clit piercing that a women has done of her own will, hardly falls into the category of mutilation.

And like others have mentioned, it sounds like its only geared towrds females, and thats even worse. What makes it wrong for a woman to pierce her clit, but a man can go about piercing whatever he wants? Completely sexist and unfair.

I'm glad I don't live in Georgia, I just hope that this unfortuante law stays there, and is ammended soon.

This is fucking insane.

I used to be very well-read on human rights, laws concerning concerning adults, and victimless crime. I believe that the only legal form of sex is Georgia is between a man and a woman in the missionary possition. The reast is legally defined as "sodomy" and is punishable under law.

It's been a while. I think there was a case where cops raided the wrong house for a drug bust and found a guy performing oral to another guy. There was some penalty. I can't remember if it was jail or not.

Aww well, I live in Florida. My friend has lost enough dick piercings while surfing to get out a metal detector and start a jewlery business.

...and get back to the War on Drugs. ::rolls eyes::

very sad to see tax payers money
wasted like this. Time to revolt!

I think it's completely insane as well. I have never liked any laws that were made to protect us from our own stupid actions. Let the dumb girls mess up their bodies as much as they want. Eventually they will see the results of their mistakes, and it'll most likely be too late to reverse what they have done to themselves. If you don't believe in God, then call it survival of the fittest. If you do believe in God, then you should follow His rules of allowing people free will.

One other thing: don't sit here and bash conservatives for this because it passed with a unanimous vote, both by Republicans and Democrats.

Yep, bunch of fucking idiots, all of them.

actually this is no longer the law in ANY state -- the supreme court recently ruled on a Texas sodomy case (http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/06/26/scotus.sodomy/) and declared such law unconstitutional... so go out and have wild and crazy sex with another man, just don't let your girlfriend pierce her clit.

I'm guessing Genital mutilation was the focus of the law... but this definitely goes beyond that realm.

I'm interested to hear how they plan on enforcing that. there must've been a bunch of Georgia house members volunteering to go check all the women in the state.

Doesn't it still have to pass in the Senate and cross the Governor's desk?
I doubt this bill will become law in its current state.

What will they try to ban next? If you can't even mutilate your own body in the private sanctuary of a parlor, then what will we mutilate? There's always going to be something somebody doesn't like though this is going a little far. Me being a piercing junkie...wait I'll be there to protest in a minute, save me a spot.:mad:

Kinda gives a whole new perspective on the standard cops' yell of 'SPREAD'EM"!

Ok, going outside the state to pierce whatever did not occur to people ?

I'd love to hear how they are gonna see that the law is working.. :P

LOL


"EXCUSE ME MA'AM -I AM THE STATE PUSSY INSPECTOR.
PLEASE REMOVE YOUR UNDERGARMENTS, LIFT UP YOUR SKIRT AND ALLOW ME TO EXAMINE YOUR GENITALIA"

Where do I apply?

Thats why it was 160-0, duh ;)

To heck with the war on drugs we should declare war on Georgia and call it "Operation Vagina Freedom!"

Men let us join our fellow sisters, raise our fists and in one voice declare our genitals free!

Genital peircing is a bit different from removing the clitoris completely cant they differentiate that???

Well... they live in Georgia

sounds like revenge of Operation Vaginal Purity.

oh and arie, we texan conservatives wouldn't go that far ;)

All the funny responses have been taken so far. Damn!

This is truly a sad day.

I realize this is an older thread but I wasnt as active on the board back in March and I missed this. I found out about this today while discussing the new beer law with some friends.

While I can understand doing something about mutilations, I do not understand this at all....ESPECIALLY since it only applies to females. A guy would be able to get his dick pierced but a female couldnt get her clit, labia, etc? This is fucking ridiculous. Those of you that say...go to another state are completely missing the point of people being upset about it. Yes, maybe because Im a female and Im pierced in many places Im more outraged than some....but like I said....most of my outrage is the fact that its directed at females only. That and the fact that they are saying because "they never heard of it" that it shouldnt be allowed

I urge any Georgian to do what I did today....


I sent the following email to Gov. Perdue, with a revised wording of one to Saxby Chambliss and Zell Miller

Let us know if there's any response from the Gov. ShaniFaye. :)

What the hell is this.... How do they expect to enforce this, other than patroling body mod shops and making sure that no one is doing these jobs. I mean come on. How does stuff like this get passed in the first place? Are we really that far away from any political matter that this goes unopposed?

Well obviously I was far enuff away from it that I just heard about it yesterday...which is strange considering my "crowd", then when discussing it I get the line "but Shannon, YOUR the smart one....we depend on you to keep up with stuff like that" lol

KellyC I got an email back stating that I would indeed get a response at some point....I wont hold my breath though

the South is Heaven (when it ain't hot as Hell :o)...and except for the whole super-reactionary trend some state legislatures down here have. Thank God I'm in Texas, and we can still have our gals adorn their genitals with all the freedom body modification entails :D

The lawmakers' intent was not to ban people from getting the piercings themselves, it was to ban mutilation. Any sensible person should be against mutilation; the politicians are just ignorant and the bill is worded poorly. They literally did not realize that anyone would want to get a genital piercing and the bill flew through because mutilation is bad, of course. Though I question how much genital mutilation is really going on in the United States, except circumcision which is somehow still acceptable.

Nonsensical, I think what pissed me off the most was the guy quoted saying..""What? I've never seen such a thing," Heath said. "I, uh, I wouldn't approve of anyone doing it. I don't think that's an appropriate thing to be doing." I dont approve of judgmental pains in the asses trying to make new laws but I dont see anything being done about THAT lol :)

As for not wording it correctly...160 people worked on that bill...its really sad that not one of them had the brains to figure out how they fucked it up

Yeah, I mean, I'm not excusing politicians who are obviously out of touch with the real world and possibly their own bills, but it could be worse anyway. Also, when contacting your out of touch representatives, snail mail and fax are perhaps more likely to be read and get an actual response, though probably still by an intern. ;)

Can you believe I got this email back from one of the?

5 bucks to have it hand deliverd lol

I wonder how the ACLU will react to this one.....*watching for the feathers to fly*

I'm personally not into genitial piercings, I can't imagine why someone would want to put a piece of metal in the holiest of holies, or through their dick, but I respect their right to do so, as long as my tax dollars don't pay for any resulting medical requirements that could possibly come up from a botched job.

fucking people piercing themselves, I want someone to pierce their butthole hehheheh.

Yep, so rapers and killers can run free as they can "prove" they aren't guilty, yet women who pierce themselves will be in jail for doing nothing to anyone but themselves...

The way i see it is if someone wants to "mutilate" themselves its none of my or anyone elses business. I dont care if you chop off you penis and feed it to your dogs. What you do to your own body is your own business, so have a nice day....

i'm sorry to say this, but i hate my country. i really do.

Honestly this somehow doesn't bother me, I see it as the Yin to the MOFO hippy anti-gun lobby's yang.

Hippies screw the squares, and the squares screw the hippies. Pray you don't live in the wrong state!

I try to keep up with the news here in Atlanta, but somehow I missed this just like ShaniFaye did. That makes me think that it was ignored by the media. Still I would have thought Boortz would have had a field day with it (ShaniFaye will know who I am talking about).

I would be shocked if 10% of our state legistlators could tell the difference between a piercing of the clitoral hood and clitoral destruction in "female circumcision." I doubt any could find a clitoris with a map and a field guide with a great deal of patience. This is an attempt to bash my adopted home because I feel the same about every state legistlature in the country. I am sure enough of them have been to our local "theaters" to see the fine artistic performances our strippers provide to have seen any number of piercings. So I don't buy that they have never heard of it.

Personally, I can't understand why anyone would want to stick pieces of metal through their genitalia, but hell, if you want to, go ahead.

I love Boortz!!! I didnt used to but as I've gotten older I understand him more lol This thing broke out in March and if he did a show on it I missed it as I dont get to listen to him everyday. I'll have to search his website to see if he posted anything about it....

this was all I could find Boortz.com

That quote from Boortz looks familiar, so I must have read it, but I must not have known what triggered it.

Boortz is the reason I have a label for the political philosophy I slowly came to embrace. It started by reading Heinlein as a teen but I did not know the word Liberterean until I moved back to Atlanta and started listening to him.

Well here we go again... another case of "them" telling "us" what "we" can and can't do..

FUCK YOU... This is my body, I've had it for as long as I can remember, it IS NOT yours, so DO NOT tell me what I can and cannot do to it!

All these people with the idea that they are doing this in "our best interests" only go on to fuck things like this up.

Sometimes, I wish I was in the Senate or something like that, where I could look at these crotchety old farts and say "lighten up!" "leave them alone, they aren't breaking any laws or anything, they are the ones that have to live with what they've done. BACK OFF!"

/end rant.

Passing this law in Georgia in the US is going to help women in other countries HOW??? Am I missing something? Isn't it men that people do this to in the good ol USA? My family was horrified when I refused to circumsize my son. I told them it was ok, I would explain to him later why I didn't put him through an unnecessary surgery as soon as he was born to take away something that helps keep him clean just so he wouldn't have to wash it.
And most clit piercings are clit hood, does this count???

This is silly.. it's easily remedied by a small change of wording to reflect the TRUE meaning of the bill:

They want to stop MINOR genital mutilation by religious parents, right? Prevent Ms. Jaueiaw from having her daughter's bits pierced or cut off? Then make clitoral or vaginal modification under 18 illegal, and solve the whole damn thing! Consenting adults can do whatever they want to with their body, while minors can't.. we have this with all sorts of other laws regarding age of consent, why not this?

I did some research today since this thread was brought back up and it looks like the bill failed on the last day of the general assembly last year.

It was close to passing without the piercing amendment, then it was amended again which put it in another committee! That committee was in the appointment process when the General Assembly ended. It didn't make it in time.

Thins like this make me ask myself, what freedoms am I fighting for. There obviously getting smaller and smaller. I think a piercing like this is hot, but the important part to me is it's YOUR DAMN BODY WTF IS SOMEONE ELSE TRYING TO TELL ME HOW TO DEAL WITH IT? Let someone tell me I can't have any more tats or that my current tats are mutilation, and hence forth illegal. I'll get a tat on my ass saying, "EAT $H!*! (didn't' want to seam vulgar)" Let them decide what to do with that!!!

The legislators who voted on this were attempting to outlaw female genital mutilation. To allow “consensual” mutilation would be pointless – look at battered women.
They are not conversant with truly consensual piercing. Piercing (to them) looked like just one flavor of the despicable mutilation they were criminalizing.
And it was not intended to be sexist. It absolutely did not occur to them that a guy might get pierced… there.

Their hearts were in the right place. And if you want to get a smile out of this, just imagine one of them learning about this issue. “Now wait. Let me get this straight. People actually take … sharp things … and … !! Wait a minute, I got to think on this. Are these the same liberal college kids who think we shouldn’t stick worms with hooks, bless their soft lil’ hearts? And you meant they will… wow. Just... WOW.”

I haven't heard of this until reading this thread. It sounds like it started out as a good thing, trying to end the mutilation....Personally I wouldn't get a piercing, but that doesn't mean I want someone to tell me that I can't.

On top of the other arguments:

Violation of freedom of expression, anyone? I'm not a US citizen but I'm pretty sure that's in the constitution somewhere...

And was this a seperate bill? There's no way it could have piggybacked in on another bill, as in "Essential Roadworks and Clitoral Piercing Bill? (Also not sure about this tool, I've heard of the principle though)

I'm not mutilated!

and how, just how is this supposed to be taken seriously? (the piercing part) and how is it ever going to be enforced??? Will doctors (ob-gyns) be forced to report pierced labia???

will there be a special TWAT force? :confused:


But as Shani so ably pointed out... it's a moot point now.

Not 'sexist' at all.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the term used to refer to the removal of part, or all, of the female genitalia. The most severe form is infibulation, also known as pharaonic circumcision. An estimated 15% of all mutilations in Africa are infibulations. The procedure consists of clitoridectomy (where all, or part of, the clitoris is removed), excision (removal of all, or part of, the labia minora), and cutting of the labia majora to create raw surfaces, which are then stitched or held together in order to form a cover over the vagina when they heal. A small hole is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to escape. In some less conventional forms of infibulation, less tissue is removed and a larger opening is left.

Sometimes a trained midwife will be available to give a local anaesthetic. In some cultures, girls will be told to sit beforehand in cold water, to numb the area and reduce the likelihood of bleeding. More commonly, however, no steps are taken to reduce the pain. The girl is immobilized, held, usually by older women, with her legs open. Mutilation may be carried out using broken glass, a tin lid, scissors, a razor blade or some other cutting instrument. When infibulation takes place, thorns or stitches may be used to hold the two sides of the labia majora together, and the legs may be bound together for up to 40 days. Antiseptic powder may be applied, or, more usually, pastes - containing herbs, milk, eggs, ashes or dung - which are believed to facilitate healing. The girl may be taken to a specially designated place to recover where, if the mutilation has been carried out as part of an initiation ceremony, traditional teaching is imparted. For the very rich, the mutilation procedure may be performed by a qualified doctor in hospital under local or general anaesthetic.

The actual practice of "Female Genital Mutilation" is practiced all over the world and is in laymans terms "where the woman's privates are ripped all to pieces". In some places it is done as a form of punishment for adultery, some as a form of birth control, and some as cultural/religious practice. Nevertheless, it is a huge problem in Africa and in the Far East, as it is common to be forced upon a young girl.

It is not a common practice for males.

Sadly, 'piercing' has been lumped into this bill, which is a more common practice in the US. However, because of the ramifications of what is more commonly known as FGM, the bill had to pass. Often, when something passes unanimously like the above bill did, there is a bigger picture.

One could say that culturally, we are denying something that may be entailed in someones' religion, however, things like cannibalism, or ritualistic torture are not acceptable here and neither should this.

Like I said earlier and like I'll say again.. specify the law to apply to minors. With that clause, there can no longer be any argument that they're "dictating what I do with my body" or even that they're taking away your freedom of expression. They're simply limiting the ability of the parent in speaking for a minor (whom the law already limits). There are things, like a contact, that someone under 18 cannot participate in. In these instances, a mature "adult" (usually their parent) can speak for them and waive that right. In the case of piercing, parents -- in most states -- have to sign a letter of indemnification. MAKE IT SO THAT PARENTS CANNOT SIGN FOR PIERCING GENITALS BEFORE 18.

As an aside, why is touching someone's genitals under the age of 18 -- usually child molestation -- already okay when its for "piercing" purposes?

what is it with old men making decisions about young women's bordies? First abortion, now this?

you're responsible for those "old men" having power.. you really have no one to blame but yourself.

better of the two evils. the woman who represents my state disowned her gay son.

i vote. i put my opinion in the polls. but no less, im part of the minority.

Now I'm wondering how much of what the newspapers are saying is true. Read the bill yourselves.



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT


To amend Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to assault and battery, so as to provide for the crime of female genital mutilation; to provide for penalties; to provide for exceptions; to provide that certain statutory privileges shall not be available; to provide for applicability; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:


SECTION 1.
Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to assault and battery, is amended by adding a new Code Section 16-5-27 to read as follows:
"16-5-27.
(a) Any person:
(1) Who knowingly circumcises, excises, or infibulates, in whole or in part, the labia majora, labia minora, or clitoris of a female under 18 years of age;
(2) Who is a parent, guardian, or has immediate custody or control of a female under 18 years of age and knowingly consents to or permits the circumcision, excision, or infibulation, in whole or in part, of the labia majora, labia minora, or clitoris of such female; or
(3) Who knowingly removes or causes or permits the removal of a female under 18 years of age from this state for the purpose of circumcising, excising, or infibulating, in whole or in part, the labia majora, labia minora, or clitoris of such female
shall be guilty of female genital mutilation.
(b) A person convicted of female genital mutilation shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than five nor more than 20 years.
(c) This Code section shall not apply to procedures performed by or under the direction of a physician, a registered professional nurse, a certified nurse midwife, or a licensed practical nurse licensed pursuant to Chapter 34 or 26, respectively, of Title 43 when necessary to preserve the physical health of the female. This Code section shall also not apply to any autopsy or limited dissection as defined by Code Section 45-16-21 which is conducted in accordance with Article 2 of Chapter 16 of Title 45.
(d) Consent of the female under 18 years of age or the parent, guardian, or custodian of the female under 18 years of age shall not be a defense to the offense of female genital mutilation. Religion, ritual, custom, or standard practice shall not be a defense to the offense of female genital mutilation.
(e) The statutory privileges provided by Chapter 9 of Title 24 shall not apply to proceedings in which one of the parties to the privilege is charged with a crime against a female under 18 years of age, but such person shall be compellable to give evidence only on the specific act for which the defendant is charged."


SECTION 2.
This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2005, and shall apply to all offenses committed on or after such date.


SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.

Looks like 1. It's ONLY for women 18 and younger. Too bad most people don't realize through their screams of foul play in the government.



Oh, and Canada has already made this a law.

Oh and the terms they said "Circumcision, Infibulation, and Excises" have nothing to do with piercings... I'm not sure where that whole outcry came from.

linda....that was the amended one, the original (that the post was about) said

so...we werent crying "foul" for no reason. They changed it after "foul" was cried and then it still didnt get passed

it didnt get passed Shani?

not according to what I looked up yesterday it didnt

.............

Honey, you never visited natives in Georgia have ya?

I'm smiling because this is rather funny in a very "shallow gene pool" sort of way. Let's not even worry about this law.

Note that bill was originally written in early 2004. This didn't become an issue until yesterday when the amended version hit the news for the first time. From what I understood from the original post, it passed with no dissent 160-0.

Now the AP release said something about an Amendment adding 'piercing' but that is nowhere to be seen on the Georgia Senate website. I couldn't find that clause anywhere.

Definitely a case where a press release should be considered sensationalized.

Does anyone else see ironic humor in so many people and mocking Georgia as naïve and simple for enacting such a stupid law, when no such law was actually enacted?

The law referenced actually forbids the genital mutilation (as in partial or total removal) of minor females. Piercing is not even mentioned, and it does not forbid whatever a consenting adult might want to have done. The law is available for review on line. It’s actually been cited in this thread, with no discernable effect.

As we say in Georgia… “Oh well, they mean well… bless their hearts.”

I havent seen a news release from 2005, where did you see one lindalove? everything I've been able to find was from 2004

Maybe this is to deter "accidents." Allow me to explain:

My buddy's dad works at a hospital. One day, this couple came in. They were hooked to each other via their genital jewelry.

Ah, prolly not, but a good chance to tell a good story.

Yes, i am on board for that business!!!!