Members of the group known as Bloodstained Men and Their Friends were in Alice on Friday morning protesting male circumcision, which they believe is, “cruel, worthless, and destructive,” according to their website.
Our Mission: To give a voice to the victims of genital mutilation who have thus far remained silent.
– Bloodstained Men and Their Friends
The group gathered at the intersection of Texas Boulevard and Texas Highway 44. The protestors wore fake blood-stained pants and held signs that said “CIRCUMCISION TORTURES YOUR SON” and “FORESKIN IS NOT A BIRTH DEFECT” among more vulgar slogans.
One of the group’s signs makes a claim that circumcisions result in over 100 fatalities every year, but that’s not necessarily what’s happening. According to an analysis by the National Library of Medicine, “compared with survivors, subjects who died following newborn circumcision were more likely to have associated comorbid conditions, such as cardiac disease, coagulopathy, fluid and electrolyte disorders, or pulmonary circulatory disorders.” This means that the death may not always be attributable to circumcision, as the protestors’ signs suggest.
The group is not local to South Texas, and their social media pages claim they are traveling throughout the country and currently in Alice on their Texas Circumcision Crisis Protest, which is taking place from December 8, until the 15th. The group claims they travel to more than 60 cities a year, educating the public about male circumcision.