Enemies as allies?

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I just sent this email to this Australian politician who made headlines earlier in the year for his comments about MAPs being part of the "+" in LGBT+. He was forced to undergo re-education with the Human Rights Commission (who no doubt have no interest in protecting MAP rights), so he's probably not able to make any more public statements on the topic. He's clearly nowhere near being an ally. But as I say in the email I'd rather have conservatives that talk honestly about the historic connections between pederasty and gay rights than progressives who try and deny the connection ever existed.

Hi Thomas,

I'm writing on behalf of Mu (MAP Union). We're an international organization representing the rights of MAPs and their allies.

Even though I'm sure you hold views regarding MAPs that we would find repugnant, I just wanted to say that in a way, you were more right than you think.

Historic accounts of homosexuality, whether in Greece or Japan, are almost universally about pederasty - men with teens. Adult-adult homosexuality is a very modern phenomena. In the early days of the sexual revolution, particularly from the 1950s-1970s discussions regarding the age of consent were common. Gay activist organizations actively debated it and many (though not all) LGBT people supported more liberal teen sexuality. Pederasty was accepted as common within the gay community and many older gay men have stories of learning about their own sexuality with an adult partner when they were teens. The founder of the Mattachine Society, Harry Hay was an active supporter of NAMBLA even in 1994 when it was denied participation in Pride. Frank Kameny, another major gay rights activist, also spoke at a NAMBLA event.

You can find more history here:
https://wiki.yesmap.net/wiki/Historical ... -MAP_unity

However, such examples are few and far between nowadays, in all honesty. So on that point I think you were mistaken. We would love to be part of the +, but since the 90s the LGBT movement has been more focused on assimilating and presenting itself as "respectable". "Sexual liberation" gave way to the more moderate demand of "consenting adults in private". As it stands now, many people in the queer community will have the most shrill voices when speaking out against minor-attracted people. They want to deny history. They want to deny the inherent queerness of minor-attraction. They want to pretend that they can fit in with straight people and after they've been let into the club they're happy to slam the door behind them.

But it's not good to rewrite history. It's fine to say "MAPs are not accepted as part of the LGBTQIA+ community today", but it's a blatant lie to say "MAPs have never been part of the LGBT community". Sure we didn't use the name "MAPs" in the 1960s or 70s. But we were there.

Anyway, I just thought I'd like to set the record straight. Conservative voices can be extremely harmful to even law abiding MAPs, but there is a certain level of directness that can be respected. Progressives who say "love is love", "born this way" or "it gets better" but then turn their backs on people with an even more demonized sexuality are hypocritical. I don't want them to get away with it.

Anyway, a bit out of left field, but I hope you found it interesting.

Percy Shelley
Mu Communications Officer

[Harlan]

It would be nice to print this as leaflets and scatter them during LGBT Pride

[Outis]

It was good of you to take the time to write to him. Honestly the way any discussion about the subject is shut down just convinces me more that those who are behind closing down all discourse do so because they know that their own argument and position is so flawed.

[Lennon72]

It would be nice to print this as leaflets and scatter them during LGBT Pride

I like this idea. I already attend PRIDE in my own town. But I help to operate a booth as well. I would be happy to distribute that stuff bur do not see my Unitarian Fellowship as allowing me to have those pamphlets in the booth with me. I would probably have to go solo which is kind of scary. If only I could find some others who would help.

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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-25/ ... /104388258

He has time to do this but not reply to my email?

Rude.

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[url]http://www.ctfamily.org/the-map-anti-discrimination-bill-hb6638/[/url]

They're actually so slow to the truth. They even say:

Don't confuse pedophiles with convicts. We don't have to assume all MAPs have or will commit a sex crime.