When I was 19, my mom asked me if I wanted to get circumcised.
I had just returned home from my first year of college, and she told me that since I had no input as a baby, if I wanted to get the procedure now, she and my dad would pay for it (yay, for bodily autonomy parenting)!
I was stuck in a moving car, so rather than open the door and jump out in embarrassment, I politely declined and sat there blushing. I had never really thought about it, and was totally happy as I was.
But since becoming sexually active (and seeing more than just my own), I've realized how often the topic of circumcision comes up among partners, lovers, and even friends. It makes me think of a meme I once saw saying, "I forget that straight people don't have a running list in their heads of which of their friends are uncut."
So, I wanted to get to the bottom of the question: do gay men really care about circumcision? And if so, why?
And wow, did people have a lot to say.
From crazy stats and a pervasive myth to one wild study that suggests how circumcision might affect if you're a top or a bottom, I found there’s a ton to pull back the curtain on here.
A quick note before we get into it: this newsletter exists because of paying subscribers. Their support lets me treat this like the job it is, not just writing, but researching, marketing, and building this queer community I love being a part of. So, if you value thoughtful discourse, occasinaly uncomfortable conversations and queer storytelling please consider subscribing for the low price of $6/month. That's less than the price of one gay iced coffee. If you can swing it, your support would truly mean the world to me.
Okay. Now, back to foreskin.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Gay Buffet to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.