A penis crusader is in town hoping to get U2’s Bono to cut the rhetoric about male circumcision.

The frontman for the Irish rock group works with various HIV/AIDS charities and supports circumcision in countries where HIV rates are skyrocketing in a bid to help prevent new infections.

Glen Callender, founder of the Canadian Foreskin Awareness Project, has been protesting North American venues where U2 Innocence + Experience concerts are taking place in the hopes of convincing Bono to pull back his endorsement of circumcisions.

U2 was at the Air Canada Centre Monday evening and will play Tuesday as well.

“This is a wrong-headed campaign. I don’t think he has looked hard at the science,” insisted Callender, a freelance writer and penis puppeteer — meaning he’s involved in the theatrical contortion of male genitalia.

When Callender protests the concerts, he wears a beret, a black shirt and Speedo underwear. He carries signs saying he condemns Bono’s support of circumcision and that he supports his “superb Irish foreskin.”

Callender accused Bono of being a hypocrite, claiming Ireland has a low rate of circumcision.

“Bono is Foreskin Enemy Number Two,” said Callender, who calls Bill Gates Enemy Number One, because his foundation has pledged millions of dollars to perform circumcisions in places like Uganda and Kenya.

“I think Bono has just been taking talking points from the Gates foundation. You can cut off half the penis and still have to wear a condom because you can still get HIV having unprotected sex with an infected person.”

Organizations working on reducing HIV from the World Health Organizations to NGOs all urge people to have safe sex.

The concept of using male circumcision to help prevent HIV infections was introduced internationally at the 2008 World AIDS Conference.

While agencies like the World Health Organization say there is compelling evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexual acquired HIV infection, they say it must also be accompanied with counselling, testing and the promotion of safe sex practices such as the use of condoms.

Callender has not been granted an audience with Bono to discuss the issue.

kevin.connor@sunmedia.ca

•The concept of male circumcision to prevent HIV infections was internationally introduced at the 2008 World AIDS Conference by the HIV department of Population Services International from Washington, D.C.

•Trials where HIV prevalence was the greatest and circumcision rates were the lowest in African countries showed circumcisions can reduce the spread of the disease by 63% in heterosexual men.

•The study showed cells in the foreskin are particular targets for the infection.

•However, male circumcision provides only partial protection from HIV and is only one element in protection that needs to include safe sex practices.