Ex-2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, a likely entrant in the race to succeed New York Mayor Bill de Blasio next year, responded on Twitter on Thursday to questions about past comments opposing circumcision.
“I have attended multiple friends’ brises and felt privileged to do so,” Yang tweeted. “I believe in religious freedom. This is every parent’s personal decision and not a role of government.”
Yang, who filed paperwork last week to run in the upcoming mayoral contest, the Democratic primary for which will be held in June with the general election following in November, was responding to Ben Max, executive editor at the Gotham Gazette.
Earlier, Max had tweeted, “Just learned that @AndrewYang is against circumcision, which may not be helpful in a Democratic primary in New York City.”
Max also linked to a 2019 Daily Beast article, in which Yang spoke out against the practice.
“I’m highly aligned with the intactivists,” Yang told the outlet, referring to anti-circumcision activists. “History will prove them even more correct.”
He added that, if elected president, he would “inform parents that it is entirely up to them whether their infant gets circumcised, and that there are costs and benefits either way.”
The back-and-forth is not the first time circumcision has entered the world of New York mayoral politics. In 2015, Mayor de Blasio eased regulations over the controversial practice of metzitzah b’peh used in some ritual circumcisions.
The former limitations, introduced by de Blasio’s predecessor Michael Bloomberg, had required parents to sign a consent form before the ritual.
What difference does it make?
To vote for him is just plain stupid whether he is for or against bris.
He is a far left wing lunatic liberal.
have fun with a “far-left lunatic liberal” as the next president.
It may be be funny now, but will be scary later and just plain sad to watch
Whatever ’emes’ this guy once did or didn’t or pretended to have is LONG gone. He has embraced the ‘swamp’ with his whole essence. He just wants to get elected to any office he can. He’s full commie. My feeling is he might even work for the leadership party of another country.
The swampland lost… deal with it..
Your subheadline misrepresents the article below and My. Yang’s position.
1) Yang made it very clear when he first made the comments that he is referring to medical benefits and that he supports freedom of religion
2) Yang will be great for NYC because he is very pro business. When he was running for president he had the largest Republican approval and is liked by many on the right
“I’m highly aligned with the intactivists.”
Does that sound like someone that will give you room to do how you see fit or does it sound like someone who will do everything in his power to get a specific outcome – against bris?
He talked about this in an interview with Ben Shapiro and he wasn’t as impassioned about this as you’re suggesting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DHuRTvzMFw&t=2599s
IMO he’s just suggesting that people without any religious/cultural reasons might question the point when they’re raising their children outside of the developing world where the medical benefits are far less palpable here
Why bother to vote, it’s all a fraud. The politicians are frauds. The votes are fraud. Recently the the Majority Leader of the Senate McConnell refused a request from both POTUS and even the Democrats to increase the stimulus payments to Americans from $600 to $2000, his reason for NOT DOING SO because it was too expensive and the US government couldn’t afford it. Yet in the 900 billion dollar package they found money to give to the Pakistanis to the tune of 100 million, 250 million to the Palestinians and additional hundreds of millions to countries who despise us… Read more »
The progressives will be so happy with your decision never to vote again 😉
The left will take it all without a fight. No more bris mila, no schita and shuls will never be allowed to open and Torah will have to be studied in secret under threat of imprisonment just like the days of communist soviet union
Maybe if we unite with muslims on this issue we will be able to come together in peace