By Hana Skoblow
STAFF WRITER
A group of activists in San Francisco, or, as they call themselves, “inactivists,” are hoping to pass a circumcision ban this year. They collected more than 12,000 petitions and will know within a month if citizens will vote on the proposal in November. Decorated with pins declaring, “May the foreskin be with you,” activist Jonathon Conte said, “To cut off any body part of somebody that can’t consent is madness. You wouldn’t cut off an ear or a finger or a nose.” If it passes, the ban will make circumcision under the age of 18 illegal, even for religious reasons, and violation of the law will be punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to a year of jail time.
On April 26, the White House released copies of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate with a stamp of authenticity, verifying that he was indeed born in Honolulu. Republicans have been questioning Obama’s presidential eligibility for several years, and recently Donald Trump, who has hinted at announcing his own candidacy, raised the issue again. Obama encouraged Americans to focus on the country’s real issues, not the birth conspiracy “sideshow.” “We don’t have time for this kind of silliness,” he said. Although Hawaii has a policy against releasing long-form birth certificates and had previously released an official “certification of live birth,” the state made an exception for Obama.
20-year-old Levi Johnston, father to Sarah Palin’s grandson, Tripp, has snagged a book deal. It is titled Deer in the Headlights: My Life in Sarah Palin’s Crosshairs, and Johnson’s manager says it will be a tell-all book in which “Levi is going to talk about everybody, including Sarah Palin, and the rest of the family — Bristol [Palin] too,” but it will also be a coming-of-age story about his teenage transition into fatherhood while being thrust into the public spotlight.
Rapper Lil B announced at Coachella that his next album will be titled I’m Gay. Contrary to original thought, it’s not his “coming out” record, but rather his way of fighting homophobia. He continued to clarify that he is straight: “[I’m] not attracted to men in any way. I’ve never been attracted to a man in my life. But yes I am gay, I’m so happy…I’m a gay, heterosexual male.” He does, however, want to throw his platform and voice toward the movement. “I got major love for the gay and lesbian community, and I just want to push less separation and that’s why I’m doing it. … 100 years later, people gonna thank me, because people are going to be free.”
Sources: SFGate, Nerve, BBC, LATimes, RadarOnline
The Round Table 
Discussion
No comments yet.