Randolfe H. Wicker - world's first pro-cloning activist.
Shortly thereafter, Wicker commenced a career of
championing human cloning, reproductive, religious and scientific freedom on
radio shows across the country.
National broadcasts included those hosted by
After initially being refused an opportunity to testify
against proposed legislation which would have made cloning a human being a
felony punishable by seven years in jail, Clone Rights United Front partisans
picketed hearings on the proposed legislation being held by the New York Senate
Investigations Committee on March 18,1997.
After encountering the demonstrators, committee chairman
Two evening newscasts featured Wicker reading the “The
Clone Bill of Rights” and the New York Daily News used a large photo of the
protestors outside as a visual.
On
Pro-cloning activists distributed leaflets to all those
attending urging NBAC to respect the reproductive and religious rights of
individual citizens. Two critics (including Wicker) challenged NBAC’s
anti-cloning proposals and were included that evening in national network
newscasts.
On June 25,1997 Clone Rights activists attended the
American Association for the Advancement of Science “Forum on Cloning” in
Washington, D.C., where they supplied press packets to all those attending,
personally gave Ian Wilmut both literature and pro-cloning buttons, and
challenged the totally anti-cloning panels repeatedly from the floor during
their day long six hour event.
On September 14, l997, Clone Rights United Front
distributed thousands of the world’s first “commemorative badges” to those
attending a memorial service for
On
On
The fifth panel, on which Randolfe Wicker sat, included a
former
(At that time, two pieces of legislation had been proposed
to outlaw the cloning of human beings. The Republicans had introduced the
First-Bond bill. The Democrats had introduced a slightly less harsh
Feinstein-Kennedy bill. Ultimately, only the Republican bill would come to
a vote. It would fail , 54 to 42, because of bipartisan opposition.)
In 1999, Randolfe Wicker would become a member of the
Board of Directors of the Human Cloning Foundation. He continues to serve
in that capacity.
As an unpaid volunteer, he monitors the Human Cloning
Foundation’s message boards and handles press inquiries.
In that capacity, he has debated stem cell research on
WNYC and Fox Cable News.
As the first Human Cloning Activist,
TIME MAGAZINE,
On March 28, 2001, Randolfe H. Wicker was 1 of 16
witnesses to testify before the The Committee on Energy and Commerce 107th Congress,
on "Issues Raised by Human Cloning".
In the picture, he is wearing his “Yes to Human
Cloning” button.
He has been a featured speaker at Boston University's International Student Bioethics Initiative, debated cloning at Haverford University and was the keynote speaker at the ninth annual Biotech Conference in Harrisonburg, Virginia in March, 2002.
Proposals to ban therapeutic cloning have made Mr. Wicker a familiar guest on MSNBC and Fox television where he debates those supporting the legislation endorsed by President Bush.
UPDATE AS OF Monday, December 30, 2002
Expert from the Wall Street Journal, Section B, Page 3, Monday 12.30.2002
Except for Dr. Antinori, most of the would-be cloners are part of a circle of good-humored intrigue whose nexus is a lamp shop in New York owned by Randolfe H. Wicker, who calls himself "the first human cloning activist." With a Web site dedicated to reproductive cloning, Mr. Wicker feeds leads and personalities to a number of journalists, TV producers, film makers, book authors and others for whom cloning stories are both irresistible human theater and a source of steady employment...
"It's such good news that it is too good to believe," said Mr. Wicker of Clonaid's announcement, as he was swept off by a television crew for another round of interviews.
Otherwise, Randolfe Wicker can be contacted by e-mail at: r.wicker@verizon.net
Please return to Clone Rights United Front index Back to Top or visit our sister sites The Reproductive Cloning Network at http://www.reproductivecloning.net or The Human Cloning Foundation's Home Page at: http://www.humancloning.org