For many Auraria Campus students, Dan Strandjord is a familiar sight. The protestor is a one-man operation, cloaked in a blue and pink T-shirt which reads “Intact Global,” a non-profit organization that seeks to end all forms of non-cultural, non-religious infant genital mutilation. Strandjord, typically wielding a sign that declares, “Different Bodies, Same Rights” is hoping to herald the end of male genital mutilation. 

Strandjord is in the business of circumcision, specifically eradicating the practice once and for all. A life-long “intactivist,” (a clever play on words from Intact Global, their supporters being activists for keeping biologically male genitals intact) Strandjord is no newbie to visible protesting, having previously begun his mission in front of The University of Chicago Medical Center in 2004. His commitment and regular presence became so well known around campus he was colloquially dubbed, “Foreskin Guy.” University of Chicago’s student newspaper, The Chicago Maroon, similarly noted Strandjord’s persistent activism in 2005, footnoting a consistent 21 years in the fight against circumcision.  

There is an extreme amount of bravery and mental fortitude needed to protest a cause, especially as a one-man army, yet Strandjord has never faltered.  “(T)his is about equal protection under the law and sex discrimination,” Strandjord said.
“Colorado is one of 41 states that have a law making it illegal to cut off the genitals of females under the age of 18. Unless it’s medically necessary, female genitals are protected from legal teams. These laws do not protect boys; they do not protect intersex kids. 
That’s a violation of equal effect. That’s sex discrimination.” 

Colorado became a state of interest for Stranjord when it was time to retire, “In 2011, Colorado became the 17th state to stop paying for circumcisions in Medicaid. It was one of the reasons I was needing to move here.” Stranjord wasn’t interested in his tax dollars supporting a state whose insurance coverage had circumcision as a benefit, like Illinois. However, in 2017, Colorado quietly reabsorbed circumcision into their Medicaid coverage plan. 

“There are no national medical organizations in the world who recommend this [circumcision] for little boys,” Strandjord said in an interview. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) current statement on circumcision is that the health benefits of the procedure outweigh the risks, such as bleeding, infection, or later in life complications. The purported benefit of circumcision is a lower risk of urinary tract infections, though the risk for infection for all newborns is less than one percent. Newborn circumcision may also prevent penile cancer, despite the risk for penile cancer being extremely low in developed countries, like the U.S. While the AAP professionally considers circumcision to be worth the apparent risks, the organization also acknowledges that “data are not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision” thereby emphasizing Strandjord’s statement that circumcision is not, necessarily, recommended by American medicine. International medical organizations are more aligned towards Strandjord’s outlook. The Royal Dutch Medical Association “considers circumcision of male minors to be in conflict with the child’s right to autonomy and physical integrity.” 

Circumcision, then, is primarily cultural. The United States’ Kellogg-induced mass hysteria around masturbation, which John Harvey Kellogg suggested circumcision would prevent, emphasizes the somewhat philosophical nature of the medical procedure. When not culturally reinforced, the justification for circumcision generally falls under the umbrella of religious practice. 

Intact Global keeps religion out of their organization’s message on a professional level, but founder Eric Clopper, a Jewish man, has made waves in his critique of Judaism’s approach to the medical procedure. Clopper’s journey as an “intactivist” took root when he was working at Harvard University as a managing officer in its language center. “Sex and Circumcision: An American Love Story” was a one-man play written and performed by Clopper at Harvard University’s Sanders Theater. The anti-mutilation activist examined the cultural, religious, and medical practice with varying degrees of severity. Clopper claimed that male genital mutilation should be treated with the same severity as female genital mutilation, and that he viewed the two practices as identical. He questioned the American tendency to be ashamed of the naked human body and organic anatomy, including lack of education about circumcision. The intactivist was relieved from his teaching position at the university after the one-man show was received negatively by Harvard, as well as the school’s affiliated newspaper, The Crimson. 

Strandjord is currently focused on litigation within Colorado. The activist has two plaintiffs for Intact Global’s lawsuit which argues male and intersex infants should have the same anti-genital mutilation protection that is legally provided to female infants. Strandjord is seeking plaintiffs of any male or intersex person who has been cut in Colorado for non-medical reasons after 1999 when they were below the age of 18. Strandjord, as of early march, has two plaintiffs and plans to file, in coordination with Intact Global, the aforementioned lawsuit as soon as a third plaintiff is acquired. Plaintiffs are not required to appear in court, though they are welcome and may be as public as they wish.