Georgia House Bans Genital Piercing

[Lilith]

(submitted by Grendel29)



ATLANTA (AP) -- Genital piercings for women were banned by the Georgia House Wednesday as lawmakers considered a bill outlining punishments for female genital mutilation.

The bill would make such mutilation punishable by two to 20 years in prison. It makes no exception for people who give consent to have the procedure performed on their daughters out of religious or cultural custom.

An amendment adopted without objection added "piercing" to the list of things that may not be done to female genitals. Even adult women would not be allowed to get the procedure. The bill eventually passed 160-0, with no debate.

Amendment sponsor Rep. Bill Heath, R-Bremen, was slack-jawed when told after the vote that some adults seek the piercings.

"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."

The ban applies only to women, not men. The bill has already been approved by the Senate but now must return to that chamber because of the piercing amendment. Both chambers of the Legislature must agree on a single version of a bill before it can go to the governor for final approval.

Associated Press

[Grendel29]

Originally posted by Lilith

"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."



Hmmm, don't remember him being on the list of people to consult when having this procedure done.

Seriously, the original measure to keep people from taking their adolescent child and having their clitoris ripped out does bear merit. What scares me is that someone could tack an amendment onto this that blocks a consenting adult from having their genitals pierced, and it pass unanimously[sp?], with no debate.

WTF is wrong with these people I love amongst?

[thedog]

I hope this was directed against the practice of genital mutilation that so many women in other countries and other cultures must undergo as part of their acceptance into society.

http://www.the-clitoris.com/n_html/n_risk.htm

That is barbaric.

OTOH ... how will this affect current trends in the US (and I'm sure in Georgia too) for genital piercings performed by adults on their own free will and for an erotic and/or sexual purpose and pleasure?

And why not extend the ban to include circumcising a 10 minute old human child when he has no say in the matter?

Makes you want to climb back into the womb where it was safe and quiet.

[lakritze]

This is another example of how legislators go too far when trying to "protect" the public. I commend the Georgia House for banning FGM (Female Genital Mutalation) a culturial practice that is almost never consented to by young girls in their early teens.The practice is barbaric and done for no good reason. Although I am not into piercing,this is a practice that at least adult consent is given to and should remain legal.I heard on the radio the other day that two states;South Carolina and Oklahoma have laws on their books against tatooing? In those states it is not illegal to have a tatoo,but is illegal to give somebody one and it is against the law to own the equipment to make tatoos.

[darogle]

Geeze...whatever would we do without legislators protecting us from ourselves??? An obvious case of our lawmakers not thoroughly doing their research and voting only as a knee jerk reaction.

[lakritze]

Where would politicians be if we outlawed Knee jerk reactions?

[WildIrish]

My fear of a pierced vagina is still not enough to make me vote against a person's right to choose what to do with their own body.

[Grendel29]

Well, WildIrish, that just proves that you, like myself, could never hold public office here. Fear of a pierced vagina? Heh, haven't met the vagina yet i couldn't (or wouldn't) lick, literally (and at great length, I might add).

But, as for all this nonsense here in Georgia, what else could I honestly expect from people who would not only elect, but re-elect, Cynthia McKinney to office.