Please share the ways you are "spreading the word"!

[Oliver'sMom]

I recently became active in my local NOCIRC division, and I'm really trying to come up with some innovative ways to inform people on circ. Some projects that we're working on now are:

lobbying with our state's medicaid director to stop funding circ

finding cheap billboard space to rent (we already have the vinyl for the billboard, just need a place to hang it up)

speaking at local "baby conventions"

giving presentations at local childbirth classes....

What we're really looking for are cheap to no cost ways (besides just handing out flyers) to educate the public.

Any ideas?

TIA!!

[Nandi]

I like mgmbill.org, you can write to your officials about the issue, also try change.gov
I sold a nursing book today and included a NOCIRC pamphlet. I'm targeting the future nurses

[Night_Nurse]

Originally Posted by Oliver'sMom

finding cheap billboard space to rent (we already have the vinyl for the billboard, just need a place to hang it up)

Good luck with that. Over a year ago I donated a couple thousand dollars to an intactivist org to be earmarked for a billboard in my area. Pretty much every billboard I can find, even in the outer towns of the major cities here is about $5 - $10K for ONE month! Of course, you can find cheaper rates if you sign a 6 mo or 1 yr contract, but I can't afford to do that. The cheaper ones I found are in obscure places that only get like 1,000 impressions a day, so I don't know.

Other ideas you could explore:
Smaller poster size ads inside city buses.
Placing ads in local baby magazines or parenting journals (the local ones here have 2 - 3inch ads for around $50/month.
Having your org sponsor something like a float in a parade, a rider in a bike race, etc. (not sure how that would work)
Hosting an essay contest for prize money or small scholarship for a high school or college student.
Contact college campuses to see if they have a health day or human rights day with event booths and provide info there.

Good luck!

[latinalonestar]

-Passing out nocirc pamphlets at babiesrus and whenever you see a preggo lady.

-Broadcasting links and info about circ on your facebook status update.

-Searching for blogs and leaving comments.

-Sending pamphlets about the normal development of the intact boy to pedis and doctors

-Researching, the more you know the better you are at answering questions and responding to criticism.

[TCA2008]

regularly send letters to the editors of your local newspaper - free advertising! You can usually tie circumcision in to any recent health care story, medical story, insurance story, or Medicaid story.

Also, bumper stickers really do raise awareness and plant seeds.

Search around other blogs on the internet and post about this issue whenever possible.

[Ron_Low]

I have lovely magazine-quality 3x6 2-sided leaflets. These are the ones we hand out at the annual Pride Parade in Chicago.

If someone has a college bookstore nearby and dares sneak around tucking leaflets in texts that nurses would use, you can have some (if you promise to write us some nice diary entries from the holding cell).

PM me.

[Oliver'sMom]

Wow!! These are awesome ideas! I'm super excited. Keep em' coming

[Smokering]

I'm writing an article about bodily integrity and babies for a mainstream NZ parenting magazine. Circ is the main issue I discuss. It's very rare in NZ, but hey, not rare enough!

[Oliver'sMom]

Originally Posted by Ron_Low

I have lovely magazine-quality 3x6 2-sided leaflets. These are the ones we hand out at the annual Pride Parade in Chicago.

If someone has a college bookstore nearby and dares sneak around tucking leaflets in texts that nurses would use, you can have some (if you promise to write us some nice diary entries from the holding cell).

PM me.

can you really get in trouble for this?

I'm thinking of going out and doing this this morning

[Ron_Low]

>> Sneak leaflets into college book-store inventory <<

Originally Posted by Oliver'sMom

can you really get in trouble for this?

I'm thinking of going out and doing this this morning

I guess it depends what the store's definition of vandalism is is.

[Nandi]

I put a pamphlet into one of those "expecting" books at the library

[Theoretica]

These are great ideas!

I just joined an anti-circ facebook group, more because it will 'announce' it too all my 'friends' that I joined it and start some conversation. Sure enough, we were over at a friends last night and he says....what is this about you joining a penis group?

So, I took a deep breath and made my case to this single guy who seems TOTALLY mainstream. He listens and says, well...I'm not cut and everyone in school made fun of me, it was pure hell, I was the only one, so I'm making sure if I have a boy he's cut.

Hmmm. Well, we all went to school together but I definitely didn't know this. I mean, it's not like I was in the locker room or anything.

So....THEN...I said well, back then it was routine...it's becoming MUCH more common for circ not to happen, so intact boys aren't 'the only ones' anymore.

He says...really?? I said yep! And besides...DH isn't cut either...and he went to school with us too! Friend says SERIOUSLY?? I didn't know that...too bad we didn't have gym together ROTFLMAO

Anyways, by the end of the convo he says well I can tell you're really passionate about it, I think that's great!

I don't know if he's converted (yet) but the seed has been planted, and since he's not even married, much less making babies, I've got some time to work him over . I gave him everything I've got from science, medical history, cultural necessity, world participation levels, and comparisons to FGM (which he agrees is horrific).

It was pretty cool though when he realized more and more American boys aren't being circ'd.

He also said that he's 'been with' a couple girls that freaked out seeing him intact...anyone else heard of this happening? And umm yeah....we kinda can talk about anything, me and him LOLOLOLOL

[tennisdude23]

In my experience, nobody has ever cared in the locker room. Most people try not to look; and yeah I have seen "both kinds." Really, nobody cares. And when it comes to girls, those I have dated had brains; so I never heard a single negative comment. This guy is making a bigger issue out of this than need be.

[Ron_Low]

Originally Posted by Theoretica

I just joined an anti-circ facebook group, more because it will 'announce' it too all my 'friends'

My FaceBook status is "Ron is.. restoring his foreskin, of course."

I suppose I should update it daily because it posts the change on every friend's profile page, right?

[Ron_Low]

Today I mailed anti-circ leaflets and bumper stickers to a pregnant history teacher at my daughter's hgh school.

[Fellow Traveler]

Originally Posted by Night_Nurse

Good luck with that. Over a year ago I donated a couple thousand dollars to an intactivist org to be earmarked for a billboard in my area. Pretty much every billboard I can find, even in the outer towns of the major cities here is about $5 - $10K for ONE month! Of course, you can find cheaper rates if you sign a 6 mo or 1 yr contract, but I can't afford to do that. The cheaper ones I found are in obscure places that only get like 1,000 impressions a day, so I don't know.

Good luck!

I wonder if such a billboard company could put up our message on unrented space and then get a charitable tax deduction. If they sold it we would lose it but it would be betten than nothing.

[Night_Nurse]

Originally Posted by jwhispers

I wonder if such a billboard company could put up our message on unrented space and then get a charitable tax deduction. If they sold it we would lose it but it would be betten than nothing.

It's possible. I was told by someone who has rented a billboard before that I could ask for a non-profit discount and they might consider it. Especially with the economy the way it is now. However, I really wanted a billboard near my home, at least within a 30-40 minute drive, and even if they discounted one month heavily, I doubt my measly $2,000 would cover it.
I think the only way a company would do as you suggested would be if the owner cared about our cause. Which would be great, but I'm not holding my breath.

I did find lower cost billboards recently but they aren't in any major metropolitan areas in my state. I may have to just get a board out in the boonies. Any board is better than none.

[Ivan's Mom]

I am a NOCIRC center for my state
I have a "19 out of 10 babies oppose circumcision" It gets a lot of attention
Every email that I send has this in the signature:
"Please Say "NO" to Infant Circumcision - Click here to find out why!" with this link http://www.circumstitions.com/Itsaboy.html

[Ron_Low]

Bruce's anti-circ half-time show at the SuperBowl

Today I'm spreading the word at YouTube.

Please enjoy Born Intact:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU5aXfJLBb4

You sing it - karaoke version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2BSNL7HIWs

(PS - in case you didn't know, rating something 5 stars at YouTube increases its odds of being seen).

[Ron_Low]

Originally Posted by Ron_Low

Today I'm spreading the word at YouTube.

Please enjoy Born Intact:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU5aXfJLBb4

I want to put this video on other services. Which ones are worth the time?

Thanks,