Dear GoFundMe.com,
A campaign hosted on your website, initiated by a woman named Sierra Westika, has come to our organization’s attention.
The campaign aims to raise funds in order to conduct the abusive and barbaric procedure of male genital mutilation, also known by its misnomer, circumcision. Circumcision is a euphemism that essentially hides and/or justifies the infliction of genital trauma for reasons of religion or social custom.
If you think we are exaggerating, we invite you to watch this video made for promotional purposes by a physician who profits from mutilating male children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLhEoOQhsVw
Is this what your organization wishes to support? Would your organization host a similar campaign to fund the genital mutilation of infant females? Just because this child’s mother wishes to bring harm to her son does not mean you have to give her the platform to beg money to do it.
In October 2013, the Council of Europe called for a ban on genital mutilation of all infants (regardless of sex). The Ombudspersons for Children throughout Scandinavia are lobbying for an effective ban of this procedure under the commonsensical view that children have an inherent right to bodily autonomy.
More and more countries of the world are at a de facto 0% infant circumcision rate – from Finland to Romania, from Zimbabwe to China, and from Cambodia to Spain. As time goes by, the world wakes up to the insanity that is routine infant male genital mutilation. Even in the US the rates are declining. Still, over 100 baby boys die each year from this savage and completely unnecessary practice. 100 baby boys just like Kenai. Let that sink in.
We share these facts with you in order to prove that the “arguments” presented in favor of this barbarism simply do not hold up under honest scrutiny.
So we ask you, Is there anything other than your cut of Westika’s appeal for public funding of her child abuse that motivates you to give her a platform?
We strongly urge you to take down the campaign, refund the donors who already pledged for this, and take an honest stance for the bodily autonomy of all children, not just half of them.
By not acting on this issue, you and your staff are essentially affirming that infants have no right to bodily autonomy. We cannot honestly accept that this is your position. But if your actions prove us wrong, you should be horribly ashamed of yourselves.
We believe the little Kenai is entitled to make the choice whether he wants to self-mutilate when he becomes a legal adult – and not to have this choice made for him by others. We believe that My body my choice applies universally.
You have a chance to make a difference in little Kenai’s life. By refusing to host this fundraiser, you are upholding Kenai’s right to bodily integrity and autonomy.
Please do the right thing,
Best regards,
Paul Elam – Founder and Publisher, A Voice for Men
Lucian Vâlsan – European News Director, A Voice for Men
Editorial note: This letter has been sent to GoFundMe.com Contact page. We recommend the readers of AVfM to also take a stance on this issue. Let’s help little Kenai! The contact page is at this link.
