The genital integrity ribbon?

[My2Matthews]

Have you all seen =744850769&sign[memberID]=744850769&sign[partnerID]=1]this?

It's a petition to stop NOHARMM from using the Genital Integrity pink & blue ribbon. I saw someone post about this on a circumcision board earlier, but now I am seeing it posted on several boards that have nothing to do with circ.

(I don't know why the link looks so funny, but it does work if you click it!)

[Nathan1097]

Nope hadn't seen it. I wonder if they'll get all their signatures- especially if there's no expiration on the petition- and what happens if they do.

[Quirky]

According to NOHARMM's website they've been using the pink/blue ribbon since 1998 .... http://www.noharmm.org/#ribbon

When did the bereaved parents group start using theirs?

Also, I think it somewhat ironic that the petition states that the lost babies can't speak for themselves but that NOHARMM's target group can. Wrong! Little babies can't speak for themselves any more than lost babies can.

Still, I think it's a shame when two worthy causes get pitted against each other. Nobody wins.

ETA: maybe this group should also petition the anti-abortion groups who use the pink and blue ribbon in their campaign against so-called partial birth abortion. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Itha...s/Ribbons.html

[My2Matthews]

As far as I know Pregnancy & Infant Loss started using it in 1997, but NOHARMM's web site says they conceived the ribbon in 1996. So, I really just don't know. I think if NOHARMM has to stop using the ribbon, the other organizations who use it should also have to stop, such as Male Breast Cancer Awareness...

edited to correct a typo

[paquerette]

This is the problem with ribbons. There just aren't enough colors to go around!

FWIW, I don't think they can "make" them stop using it. There are already overlapping ribbon campaigns out there, so I don't think it's possible to copyright them.

[zaftigmama]

That seems kind of lame. If I was wearing a pink and blue ribbon and someone asked what it was for, I'd say genital integrity (I want such a ribbon, I never knew they existed). If someone was wearing a similar ribbon and telling people it was for Infant Loss, so what? Nothing is being taken away from anyone.

Where can I get a pink and blue ribbon?? Also, they (the groups) can always print something on the ribbon, and make it clear what it stands for.

This kind of argument is just so silly. There are so many real issues out there, and they're wasting time and money protesting a ribbon? Whatever.

[Benji'sMom]

Look at all the pretty colors:

http://www.gargaro.com/ribbons.html

[Quirky]

I would definitely want something printed on mine to indicate that it wasn't in support of the "partial-birth abortion" ban....I have no problem supporting awareness of infant loss.

Too many ribbons....I think they've become overused and cliched.

[homebirthing]

I completely support all of the blue and pink ribbons, so I could wear it for all of them!

[calngavinsmom]

Originally Posted by DoulaSarah

I completely support all of the blue and pink ribbons, so I could wear it for all of them!

ITA!!!

[Sustainer]

I have the pink & blue ribbon on my web site, but luckily it says Genital Integrity on it so no one will think it's anti-choice.

[Devaskyla]

I have to say that woman is obviously overly sensitive. Yeesh. I've lost 5 babies and you don't see me whinging on that the ribbon colors are used by other causes. And, as someone else said, those colors are used by several different groups, instead of targetting NOHARMM, why isn't she petitioning all the other groups, too? Maybe she's pro-circ and is just using this as a passive-aggressive way to go after an anti-circ group?

[Sustainer]

Maybe she doesn't know about all the other groups that are also using the same ribbon.

[Devaskyla]

BTW, I just checked out that Ribbons web site. Guess what's on the orphaned ribbons page? The infant loss one. And I compared the genital integrity and infant loss ribbons. While they do use the same colors, they are not the same. The genital integrity one is a ribbon that's entirely pink on one side, entirely blue on the other, folded so that both colors can be seen. The infant loss one is half pink, half blue.

[Nathan1097]

http://www.noharmm.org/

There's the intact one

Here's the infant loss one:

http://gargaro.com/liferibb.gif

[gossamer]

I have to say that woman is obviously overly sensitive. Yeesh. I've lost 5 babies and you don't see me whinging on that the ribbon colors are used by other causes. And, as someone else said, those colors are used by several different groups, instead of targetting NOHARMM, why isn't she petitioning all the other groups, too? Maybe she's pro-circ and is just using this as a passive-aggressive way to go after an anti-circ group?

I don't agree that she is overly sensitive. I too belong to the dead baby club and I would do anything to make sure my baby is not forgotten.

When you see the pink ribbon, most people don't even question what it's for. The red ribbon is pretty much accepted as the symbol for AIDS research. I would hate for somebody to see my ribbon and assume it is for circumcision or abortion ban and not be given the opportunity to talk about my daughter. Now I get asked all the time what my pin is for and I get to talk about Mary Rose and put a face to a grieving mother.

Maybe we should write this woman and show her the differences and/or bring her attention to the fact that others also use the ribbon. One thing a grieving mother does not need is other mother's attacking her for trying to salvage what ever she can from her child.
Gossamer

[My2Matthews]

Everywhere I've seen this discussed, the fact that the ribbon is used by other organizations is totally dismissed. They either don't respond or they just say they don't want to argue about it.

You know, if PAIL wants the colors to themselves, that's fine. I really do sympathize with their cause. I really wonder if they would have targeted Noharmm in the same way if they stood for a subject other than circumcision. I really doubt it, as they haven't gone after any of the other organizations that use the pink and blue ribbon.

[karlatrx]

Every one of those lost children has someone who cares and speaks for them...their parents. My lost baby has me to speak for her and a ribbon more or less doesn't change that she existed, I loved her desperately, and that she died before she could be born.

The people who don't have a voice are the ones that are actively being harmed by the medical community of the US. Their parents (in most cases) aren't even aware of the controversy. The genital integrity ribbon is designed to make parents aware of the issue before their son is harmed...not to remind people about it afterwards.

The genital integrity ribbon image was developed in 1996 and copyrighted in 1998. I've seen several statements that the PAIL ribbon was first, but I can't find out when it was developed and by whom and when it was copyrighted.

[karlatrx]

I was thinking about this some more.

Is it possible that the reason people are so upset about the issue is because they think of this ribbon as a physical representation of the child they lost?

Someone on another board said that it meant that her deceased children "count". How could a ribbon make your children count? How could someone else using it for another reason mean that your children don't count?

[Sungold17]

Is it possible that the reason people are so upset about the issue is because they think of this ribbon as a physical representation of the child they lost?

I think this is thinking into it too much. I have lost a child and I do wear the infant and pregnancy loss awarness pin frequently through out the year. I wear it in remembrance of my daughter and to promote awareness of this type of loss which is still 'swept under the rug' in terms of research/prevention and also in sensitively to the beareved.

I have to say that woman is obviously overly sensitive... and you don't see me whinging on that the ribbon colors are used by other causes. And... why isn't she petitioning all the other groups, too? Maybe she's pro-circ and is just using this as a passive-aggressive way to go after an anti-circ group?

I highly doubt that she had alternit motivates against the anti-cir group. I disagree that she is obviously overly sensitive. Many grieving parents react differantly in their grief. It may seem illogical to you but I am sure it makes perfect logical to her and others.

Anyway, a close look at the loss, anti-abortion , and genital mutalation ribbons show that all three ribbons are a bit differant. They do look similiar but that is to be expected since there are so many causes. I don't sign on-line petitions as a rule either (you can see why here: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.htm.) But I really do not think this person had bad intentions. Just a grieving mom trying to promote her cause.