Now, Cut It Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, there is just no telling which way this blog will go. From celebrity tributes, to the Oscars, to....male circumcision??????????

That's right, darlings!!!!!!!! An article I recently read in the gay publication "NEXT", alerted me to the fact that there is a movement afoot among the Gay Male Community, regarding this practice. In essence, they are taking the same stance as women who are Pro Choice--it is their body, and they have the right to decide what is done with it.

But reproduction is quite a bigger step than circumcision. Added to which the act of reproduction is something a woman will experience while fully cognizant, and is capable of remembering. Those, such as moi, who were circumcised, were done so as infants, shortly after birth, so, of course, who can remember anything??? Even me, with my razor sharp memory, cannot go back that far! And thank God!!!!!!!!!!!

Growing up where I did, in Highland Park New Jersey, which was mostly white, and predominantly Jewish, it never occurred to me then that anyone would NOT be circumcised. Would you believe my first experience with such came from....a French poodle??????????

No, dears, I was not indulging in bestiality; I detest the idea. But let me explain.

While growing up, we visited, quite often, Aunt Martha and Uncle Jack, who was my father's brother. They lived in Cedar Grove, NJ, and had a lovely split level house, with a beautifully landscaped garden, into which eventually was put a swimming pool. They also, around the time I reached puberty, acquired a black male French poodle, named, appropriately enough, Pierre.

Pierre was the sweetest thing, and I loved playing with and petting him. But he was also a big old hound for attention, and let me tell you, when a crowd was gathered, and rapidly conversing, Pierre had a unique way of gaining attention. He would lift himself up on his hind legs, and, with one paw, begin frantically rubbing his testicles with said paw, until someone, usually Aunt Martha, would clap her hands at him, and say, admonishingly, "Stop that!" And naive as I was, I really had no idea what Pierre was being ordered to stop.

Until one Sunday, when we were there, Pierre did his thing, and only I noticed. Curious, I decided to see what might happen if I let Pierre go as far as he could, so I stayed quiet. Until, until, darlings, I saw something suddenly protrude, and, before I could stop myself, screamed out loud to all and sundry, "Oh, my God! The dog is getting a hard-on!!"

You never saw such hysteria! The women screamed, Aunt Martha got on Pierre's case, the men harrumphed, and my father marched me upstairs, to get on MY case, saying we do not talk like that in front of people. Of course, I said I was only telling what I saw...and I had never seen such before. Nor did I understand why Pierre's looked so different, aside from he being a dog. It was because he was, in the vernacular, uncut!!!!!!!

As for the human male, not once do I recall anyone who might be called uncut. If they existed, they were certainly outnumbered by all of us who were cut. It wasn't until I got to college that I saw such, and I am afraid my reaction was bad. This Princess had to share bathroom and shower facilities with a whole floor of young, horny teen boys, and, darlings, if you think that sounds fun, let me just say when you are a teen yourself, not to mention shy, insecure and raised in a house where it was like having your own apartment, such an experience may prove rattling. I mean, I had not so much as been to summer camp. Anyway, I was going in one morning, and I saw this guy, drying himself. I have no idea who he was, but now I wish I did, so I could apologize, for, as I noticed his anatomy, I saw a similarity to Pierre. Know what I did, darlings???? I screamed!!!!!!! In fact, I screamed so much that it scared him, and he ran out of there! I don't think he ever used that space again!!!!!!!!!!

But that was me back, then, darlings, innocent as a rose! Bachelor dandies, drinkers of brandies, what did I know of those?????? Today, it is a whole different story, darlings!!!!!!!!!!

I figured it all out eventually. But once I began the gay dating scene, or whatever you want to call it, I found myself judgemental. I just could not cozy up to those who were uncut! It was so foreign to me, and something about it seemed unhealthy. As I became more aware, and would read various literature, I found a school of thought who maintained that those uncut experience greater sexual pleasure. I have no basis for comparison; in fact, in that department I have never felt lacking, and have done just fine, thank you!!!!!!!!! But being uncircumcised places a hygienic burden on the possessor, and the literature states that men who are such are at greater risk for STD's.

Which goes to say, I have never felt dissatisfied being circumcised. And with all the things out there to rail about amidst the gay male community, this is specious, at best. And just how do these proponents expect this movement to gain support??? Confiscate male babies from hospital wards???? Keeping older boys uncircumcised , so that, if when of legal age, they might decide to get circumcised, it puts more of a burden of pain and risk upon them??? This to me is as heinous as the practice of female circumcision.

If parents mutually decide they want their male child to remain uncircumcised, that is fine. Pressure to do or not do that should not be exerted. But I think, in a world where sexual issues, pressures, and diseases abound, putting a child at hygienic risk is not a viable option. I can tell you, were I to have children it would be--sorry, dears!--snip! snip!!!!!!!!

As Neely might have said in "Valley Of The Dolls,"--"Who needs it? I did GREAT without it"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!