And let’s not kid ourselves, circumcision became popularized in North America as a means to “cure the habit” of male masturbation. It was believed that circumcised penises detracted from the pleasure of masturbation and thus little boys wouldn’t spend so much time playing with themselves. And it obviously worked since the circumcised men among us never masturbate, right? That’s what I thought.

Regardless of the reasons people choose to have their infants circumcised, the bottom line is that this is an issue of bodily autonomy. Circumcision, as a procedure, is a choice that should be available to all penis-having adults, but deciding on behalf of a child what should be done with their genitals is powerful decision that should not be made by anyone but the person who has to live with the consequences.

Even when it comes to babies, the feminist motto “my body, my choice” still stands.