_{On the last day of the General Assembly, the FGM bill (SB 418) failed.}

_{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.}

_{We held a multi-organizational demonstration in support of Women's Rights at the Capitol March 31st, 2004, and with your support we were able to keep this bill from equating piercing with mutilation. We plan to continue to interact with legislators to help ensure that this kind of thing doesn't happen next year.}

Committee Members Responsible:

We have confirmed with the drafters of the bill that the line of the bill that implies applicability of the prohibitions to women over the age of 18 was unintentional. It has not yet been determined whether this was due to a scrivener's error or was an oversight during one of the revisions of the text of the bill. We have conferred with Senator Thomas' staff, and they intend to correct this error at the earliest opportunity. This bill was never intended to apply to consensual procedures performed on legal adults.

We maintained the bill should only be passed with the original language restored, without the "piercing" amendment. We plan continued support for legislation to prevent female genital mutilation, and to raise awareness in regards to how, where and why it happens.

As far as individual rights go we are entitled to freedom of privacy, and this is one of the main reasons sodomy laws fell at state and Supreme Court.

We must also act in the best interest of the general welfare of the public: If a woman is not allowed to seek a safe piercing from a skilled professional, the result is dangerous and disfiguring amateur piercing.

FGM: Further Information

Amirah's Voice: Speak out against FGM and sexual violence against women

ACTUAL TEXT OF FEDERAL FGM LAW

INTERNATIONAL AID STIPULATION

Bill text summary: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/sum/sb418.htm

Contact the following to support restoration of the original text.

Thank you to Bethra Szumski and the APP for standing up to keep piercing safe and legal, and for helping to direct public scrutiny toward stopping this piercing amendment.

Shannon Larratt of BMEzine had some choice words on the subject as well.