Founded in 2008 by a group of like-minded individuals and organizations, and with funding from a private donor, Intact America is the largest professional organization in the world advocating children’s rights to an intact body. This is our timeline.
Intact America counts among its supporters and advisors many long-time intactivists and thousands of newcomers join our cause each year. Together we are committed to protecting all babies and children—male, female, and intersex—from forced genital cutting. Our efforts to change how America thinks about male child genital cutting in particular are evident by our major accomplishments, from our founding and every year since.
2020
MCGC Solicitation Survey
Intact America conducted the first-ever survey investigating the solicitation of newborn circumcision. The national, random-sample survey revealed that such “selling” of this unnecessary practice increased..Read More
2019
Website Relaunch
Intact America refreshes its website with all new content and incorporates our blog. The relaunched website includes changes to navigation and structure, and is mobile..Read More
International Conference on Men’s Issues
Intact America exhibits at the 5th annual three-day International Conference on Men’s Issues held this year in Chicago. This was our first official foray into..Read More
ACEs Initiative
Intact America proposes that child genital cutting (including circumcision) be added to the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) questionnaire. The initiative includes a new website and..Read More
NYC Pridefest
Intact America participates for the 10th year in the NYC Pride celebration, the largest in the world. Intact America distributes nearly 10,000 flyers, foreskin fact..Read More
3rd National Public Opinion Survey
Public support increases to 15.7 percent! Once again, Intact America conducted a random-sample survey of Americans regarding their opinions and knowledge of genital cutting. Public..Read More
Intact America Condemns State Legislatures
Intact America issues strongly worded statements and press releases concerning the unconstitutionality of bills introduced in California, Connecticut, Iowa, and Washington prohibiting female genital cutting...Read More
Georganne Chapin prominently shown in documentary
The game-changing documentary “American Circumcision” by Brendon Marotta features pro and con interviews including Intact America’s executive director. The response has been nothing less than..Read More
2018
NYC Pridefest
Intact America distributes nearly 10,000 flyers, foreskin fact cards, stickers and “Foreskin Pride” condoms at its double booth at NYC Pridefest.
2nd National Public Opinion Survey
Intact America conducts a second national survey on Americans’ attitudes toward circumcision, which shows that 14 percent of Americans now agree with that statement “baby..Read More
MADE to STICK Campaign Launched
Intact America launches a foreskin protection campaign after learning 2 out of 5 boys are being forcibly retracted.
Forcible Foreskin Retraction Survey
Intact America conducts a nationwide, random-sample survey revealing 43.3 percent of intact boys have had their foreskins needlessly and forcibly retracted at least once by..Read More
2017
CircumcisionDebate.org Launched
Intact America launches CircumcisionDebate.org—an entry-level website designed to inform and persuade newcomers to the circumcision question. A companion Facebook page is also set up, along..Read More
Foreskin Frank Debut
IA introduces Foreskin Frank at NYC Pride, proclaiming “the foreskin is out of the closet!” The 6-foot intact penis with working foreskin was an instant..Read More
50,000 Facebook Followers!
The number of followers on Intact America’s main Facebook page surpasses 50,000!
Tipping Point Strategy Published
Intact America publishes a white paper explaining the organization’s strategic focus on reaching a “tipping point” and describing how this strategy and our tactics differ..Read More
4th Summit Meeting
The Chicago summit meeting focused on IA’s strategic narrative. All eighteen attendees completed a comprehensive strategic narrative survey based on the work of the Center..Read More
2016
NYC Pride Float
After eight years marching in NYC Pride, Intact America launches the “Foreskin Pride” campaign with a large float traveling down Fifth Avenue seen by millions..Read More
#EndThePain AAP Petition
Intact America launches a campaign to tell the AAP to #EndThePain, after a Pediatrics journal article describes the long-term negative consequences of neonatal pain and..Read More
2015
12,000 U.S. Pediatric Urologists Warned
Intact America mails letters to 12,000 American pediatric urologists to both inform them of the dangers of circumcision and warn them of the legal ramifications..Read More
CDC Retreats
In response to pro-circumcision guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control in tandem with a publication by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Intact America..Read More
1,000 Florida Pediatric Urologists Warned
Intact America helps the world understand why a mother would go into hiding with her son to prevent her estranged husband from circumcising their preschooler...Read More
2014
3rd Summit Meeting
Our third national summit meeting is hosted by Georganne Chapin in her Woodstock, New York home. A dozen intactivists attend after reading George Lakoff’s book..Read More
1st National Public Opinion Survey
Intact America commissions a preeminent polling firm, Lake Research Associates, to conduct the first ever national survey on American’s attitudes toward circumcision. Among the findings,..Read More
Handouts, Flyers, and Pamphlets
Intact America creates numerous printed and downloadable flyers and pamphlets for a multitude of outreach events and social media.
2013
Experimenting On Newborn Boys – Protest
Intact America organizes a protest at TriHealth Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, demanding that the hospital discontinue an experiment being conducted on newborn boys, comparing..Read More
ACOG Put On Notice
After Intact America is refused exhibit space at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists convention in New Orleans, the organization organizes a protest at..Read More
AAP Report Trashed
Intact America alerts the U.S. media and public that a group of respected doctors and medical ethicists from 17 countries published a rebuttal to the..Read More
2012
Launches “I Did Not Consent” Program
After Intact America is banned from exhibiting at the AAP national convention in New Orleans, IA arrives with a contingent of volunteer demonstrators, launching the..Read More
Develops “Dogbone” Placard System
Intact America develops a collapsible placard design for street demonstrations. The set of 24 placards with interchangeable posters have been used in dozens of demonstrations..Read More
Slams AAP Circumcision Policy
Intact America begins a media blitz pointing out the errors and inconsistencies in the AAP’s new technical report. “The report presents highly selective information [in..Read More
2nd Summit Meeting
Our second summit meeting, hosted by Dan Bollinger, was convened at his Indiana home. Sixteen diverse intactivists read Bill Moyer’s book Doing Democracy: The MAP..Read More
2011
AIDS 2011 Conference
For the third year, Intact America exhibits at the International AIDS Symposium – this year in Rome – telling the truth that circumcision does not..Read More
Kicked out of ACOG convention
After being denied a booth inside the exhibit hall of the ACOG convention in New Orleans, IA publishes an open letter in the Washington Post..Read More
“Put Down the Knife” campaign launched
Intact America launches a “Put Down the Knife” campaign, collecting and forwarding nearly 100,000 electronic messages to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American..Read More
2010
AIDS 2010 Conference
Exhibits at the AIDS 2010 conference in Vienna, Austria, urging policymakers to halt male circumcision rollout, calling the plan exorbitant, dangerous and unethical.
IA blasts AAP FGM policy
Intact America blasts the American Academy of Pediatrics’ new policy statement calling for doctors to be permitted to inflict a “ritual nick” on little girls’..Read More
Testifies in Massachusetts Senate
Georganne Chapin testifies on behalf of a Massachusetts Senate bill to ban the genital mutilation of boys, and presents 500 written testimonials collected by Intact..Read More
25,000 Signatures on CDC Petition
Intact America collects and delivers 25,000 signatures urging the Centers for Disease Control not to recommend neonatal circumcision.
IA booth at AMSA conference
Intact America staffs a booth at the American Medical Students Association convention in Anaheim, California, encouraging future doctors to rethink the practice of circumcision.
2009
Lobbies CDC
Intact America attends a Centers for Disease Control conference on HIV prevention, staffing a booth and sponsoring a mobile billboard to tour downtown Atlanta. The..Read More
30 Years of Intactivism
Intact America co-hosts the “Celebrating 30 Years of Intactivism” event in Washington, DC.
Intact America is unveiled
Intact America’s founding is announced at its first press conference. Founding executive director Georganne Chapin says: “Before subjecting their newborn sons to painful, risky and..Read More
2008
Intact America founded at 1st Summit Meeting
Intact America is officially founded at its inaugural Summit Meeting convened in Tarrytown, New York, comprising a large, diverse assemblage of intactivists. IA’s initial mission,..Read More
AIDS 2008 Conference
Nascent Intact America staffs a booth a the AIDS 2008 conference in Mexico City, stating that circumcision programs will be a dangerous distraction in the..Read More
4th Aperio meeting
This meeting, hosted by Georganne Chapin in Tarrytown, New York, focused on Intact America’s governance.
3rd Aperio meeting
Aperio leads a smaller meeting, again with the directors of the “big four.” Georganne Chapin hosts the meeting at her corporate offices in Tarrytown, New..Read More
2nd Aperio meeting
Aperio leads our second meeting in Dallas, Texas, with the “big four” directors, meeting organizer Georganne Chapin, and about a dozen intactivists. During our roundtable..Read More
2007
1st Aperio meeting
Directors of the “big four,” along with meeting organizer Georganne Chapin and about a dozen highly motivated intactivists meet in Dallas, Texas, at the offices..Read More
Smartmeme strategy workshop
Directors of the “big four” intactivist organizations consults with Smartmeme (now Center for Story-Based Strategy) in San Francisco to develop unified messages for the movement...Read More
