EDITOR’S NOTE: I’ve known Nathan as long as I’ve been blogging – he is one of my oldest and most loyal blogger friends from those days before Facebook and Twitter were around. I am really psyched to have him as a guest blogger today. Without further adieu, here’s Nathan!
The proposed circumcision ban in San Francisco is picking up a lot of support. If it passes this November, circumcision on anyone under 18 will be a misdemeanor, even if it’s for religious reasons. It will be punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.
Dan first reported this story last November, stating his hesitance to support yet another law that limits the rights of San Francisco citizens. Despite his apprehension, Dan has graciously allowed me to contribute a guest post to explain why I support the ban.
Let me start off by saying that I know many of us, particularly in the gay community, and particularly those in California, are very sensitive about bans. In most parts of this country, we have been discriminated against and treated as second class citizens by the law. Power has definitely been abused. But in all fairness, I also think we
must treat new laws with a fresh perspective and open mind.
Whose rights are we really fighting for?
At first glance, it seems as if this law takes away the rights of parents. It seems to restrict them and prevent them from making a choice about their own child. What a suffocating feeling. No adult wants to be told what to do, especially in matters concerning their children.
But in actuality, we are fighting for the rights of baby boys. It’s their penis, afterall. Shouldn’t every man get to make the decision about whether or not his penis is cut? That’s all this law wants to do… Give the power back to those you want to make their own decisions about their body.
What exactly is the purpose of the foreskin?
A lot of people simply don’t understand what the foreskin does. In fact, a lot of people think it’s some “excess” piece of skin that’s meant to be cut off. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The foreskin is a highly sensitive layer of skin, which protects the penis and is packed with nerve endings. In particular, it provides protection to the head of the penis (the glans). The foreskin also keeps the glans soft, smooth, and healthy by avoiding the everyday abrasion of clothing. As a result, the glans is significantly more sensitive, making sex more pleasurable. Honestly, who doesn’t want more sexual pleasure?
But when the foreskin is removed, the glans is exposed to the elements. Over time, it toughens up, dries out, and thickens. It’s a defense mechanism that results when a body part that isn’t supposed to be exposed is left without any protection.
Okay, so it turns out the foreskin is an amazing source of pleasure and sensitivity. But isn’t it dirty and smelly?
Of course it is. We are dirty, smelly human beings. That’s why we take showers. That’s why we use soap and water. Do you see doctors amputating feet when they stink? And do you know anyone who cut out their armpit because it developed an odor after playing sports? The foreskin is not any more difficult to clean than any other part of the body.
As far as parents who are uncomfortable with cleaning the foreskins of their babies… Guess what? You won’t have to. The foreskin does not retract until somewhere around 10-years-old. If it’s pulled on roughly, it can prematurely be torn early. But in general, the foreskin stays fused to the penis until the early stages of puberty. So all you have to do is clean the outside. And you would clean the outside anyway, right?
Last but not least, doesn’t circumcision prevent HIV and AIDS?
Oh, how I wish it did. I wish cutting off a piece of skin gave us immunity to a disease that has plagued our friends and loved ones for 30 years. The only way we can protect ourselves is to use condoms, get tested regularly, know our status, and know our partner’s status. Foreskins do not increase the risk of HIV. Medical studies have confirmed this time and time again. Besides, I’d much rather put a rubber on my dick than have part of my dick cut off, wouldn’t you?
You don’t have to like foreskins. You just have to know that a man has the right to choose.
If you don’t like foreskins, don’t sleep with uncircumcised men. That’s my advice. But please don’t take away the rights of your children. Let the boy decide on his own. Once he turns 18, if he passionately hates his foreskin and wants it removed, he can do so. But chance are, he won’t.
Circumcision is permanent. Don’t you think your son should make a decision that’s going to impact him his whole life? I do. So regardless of how you feel about foreskins in general, please let the future men of San Francisco decide for themselves. Please vote to ban circumcision in November.
About Nathan
Gay blogger based in Nashville, TN with my husband Daniel. Author of the blog Nathan Exposed and founder of the upcoming site Foreskin Facts.
Email: webmaster@foreskinfacts.com
