“My best friend since 7th grade had a son 15 months before I had my son, who is whole. Her son is not.

I didn’t really think about circumcision before until I became pregnant myself. I never thought that it was a violation of her baby boy’s basic human right. I never questioned it therefore I never discussed it when my friend was pregnant.

We had a playdate when I was in town and she saw me change his cloth diaper saying, “I want to see because I’ve only seen what “L” looks like!” She was curious and asked why I didn’t. I simply said, “Because it’s completely unnecessary; no health organization recommends it, etc.” She wanted her son to look like his father, her father, her grandfather, etc. I respect her family and her conservative humor so I refrained from saying, “Why would you want to look at your father/grandfather/father-in-law’s penis?!”

Lastly, I noted that I wouldn’t stand seeing him in pain of circumcision. She wholeheartedly agreed and finally opened up that if she knew that “it would be like that” she would never have done it. She wasn’t even in the same room.  She said if she could do it all over again, she wouldn’t have had her son circumcised. If her son’s father had not been less involved in the decision, she wouldn’t.

She’s pregnant again so if she is having another boy, my hope is that she remembers our conversation. More importantly, I hope she remembers the pain in her heart and in her son when he had his perfect body violated for no medical or sound reason. Healthy baby boys are born healthy and as boys for a reason – to be taken home as perfect and whole as nature intended.” — Laotian Mama