If you're an older MAP, or simply one who has read up on MAP history like I, you may be aware of NAMBLA and their program of writing letters to people imprisoned under America's draconian sex laws. Well, one of my readers happens to be a part of that program, and he forwarded my manifesto to one of his contacts, also a member of NAMBLA. In this article, I will respond to just a few of the many questions and comments I received in response.

Questions and comments

The questions and comments here will be listed as they are written in the letter. Numbers 21-50 were for me, and the others were for another person. I will not be answering any questions directly in this article; rather, I will discuss the implications.

Number 23: Several men who I asked to read the manifesto did not know the term BL or MAP. Does Ribbon want these terms to be known all over, or kept as a secret code within the fraternity?

This, to me, speaks volumes about just how poorly our activism is reaching the general population of MAPs.

Studies show that attraction to children and teens is very common. Of course, many people with some level of attraction likely do not identify as pedophiles, MAPs, or whatever. Nonetheless, one would expect that men in prison for child sex offenses, friendly with a NAMBLA member and motivated enough to read a pro-pedophile manifesto, would at least have some awareness of the term BL.

This question is an indication that we need to radically step up our game of reaching the public, particularly those people who feel attraction to children and teens but don't yet identify as MAPs, BLs, GLs, or even pedophiles. There is likely a very large base of people we can potentially 'convert', so to speak.

Number 24: Several men that I asked for feedback did want to even touch this [illegible] they were too frightened the psychology department might find out and put them on a CMP for one year.

I do not know exactly what a CMP is, and both searches and AI were unhelpful. However, it is clear that the men were afraid of some kind of coercive measure set up outside of the actual legal system.

MAPs really are stripped of their right to conscience, and not only in the prison system but also outside of it. NAMBLA was relentlessly hounded by the authorities, and this blog is now being reviewed regularly by the NCMEC despite its clear legality. Most people accessing long-established sites like BoyChat or LifeLine use Tor to stay safe, because they fear they will be harassed by authorities simply for existing. This situation is unacceptable.

Number 29: How many sexual acts are out of desperation? Is it quite similar to the sexual violence perpetrated by the Incel men that feel so cut off from their desired target, eligible women?

First of all, I don't really like the word 'target'. I certainly don't think of boys as 'targets'; perhaps that language is the result of years of brainwashing by prison psychiatrists?

But this is an issue I covered all the way back in my first article since returning to activism, The Push. Widely criticized for its warning that MAP oppression might lead to retaliatory violence, an equally key argument was that MAPs may be pushed toward more harmful sexual outlets under the crushing weight of sexual hysteria. I wrote:

With nowhere to go, most BLs, despite the fleeting depravity of curious young boys, accept loneliness, despair, and sexual frustration. Some BLs are understandably unwilling to accept this, and some of these people go on to seek relationships with quieter boys, acknowledging that they are a 'safer option' more willing to keep secrets. This is not because these BLs are sociopaths who hate children; they genuinely love these boys, and ultimately engage in consensual AMSC when the boys reciprocate their love, which is a frequent occurrence. Unfortunately, these boys don't wear their heart on their sleeve quite like the crazy, 'dirty', 'perverted', outgoing boys that would seek AMSC with their adult friends. They have a richer inner life than most people give them credit for, and they have a tendency to ponder that can quickly lead to negative thinking and self-hate. Emotionally vulnerable and easily influenced by wider society, these boys may later feel harmed by their encounter due to society's archaic conservative messaging about AMSC, even if the sexual contact itself was not innately harmful. The end result is a highly distressed child and imprisonment for the BL. Beyond the obvious moral issues, which I do not deny, seeking out AMSC with the quieter boys is a tempting but poor alternative for both the adult and the minor. Are the BLs who seek these relationships evil people who don't care about boys? I say no. With a logical AoC of 12 or so, plus additional protections to prevent outright exploitation, most active BLs would not seek out sexual contact with those boys. So why do some do it? They are subjected to The Push.

Number 43: The answer [to why outed MAPs don't publish pro-MAP videos] is fear of being returned to prisons, and all our time is spent trying to find work to pay for rent and food and transportation

This was in response to a section of my manifesto, which read:

These days, a lot of people source their information from videos posted on sites like YouTube and even TikTok. However, the number of MAPs making videos is extremely small. First of all, major platforms are highly censorious, especially when it comes to pro-MAP content. Second, most MAPs are unwilling to show their faces, for obvious reasons. Nonetheless, the FreeSpeechTube platform offers low-censorship hosting, and is particularly popular with MAPs. And for those who are rightly afraid, it is possible to make videos without showing your face, albeit less effective. What I would question most is why the hundreds of thousands of MAPs who have already been outed do not publish pro-MAP videos when so many of them have very little left to lose. Come on, guys...

I have no doubt that the imprisoned men's thoughts about employment are accurate for America, with its absolutely insane registries and laws. Still, not every country is quite so extreme. Where I live, getting a job working with children would be difficult, but finding other jobs would not be a major challenge. And there are plenty of jobs that are not client-facing, where making pro-MAP videos would be possible without getting fired.

And yet, barely anyone engages in MAP activism, even in written form as I do. I get the fear. My site is monitored regularly by law enforcement, and I'm sure they'll waste their time trying to harass me at some point. I also understand that our cause may be feel hopeless; MAP activism has not exactly been a stellar success thus far.

But should we just give up? I'm not willing to sit cowered and shriveled in a corner. Almost anyone can do something. The bar to getting content published as a guest blog here, or on Mu, is not set very high. Anyone can post anonymous comments on Reddit (or other social media) that encourages rational thought about MAPs, even if it's not outwardly pro-MAP.

Key takeaway

The most prominent implication from the comments is that our reach is shockingly narrow and constrained. Obviously, being censored just about everywhere doesn't help. The fear of being harassed by authorities is also a legitimate barrier to activism, although there isn't really much they can do other than be intimidating. And yes, employment is another barrier to political agitation in some countries and sectors; though if you're working as a cook or a computer programmer, you probably have little to worry about there.

We can do better despite the limitations. We need to make our movement more visible, not just to the public, but also to those MAPs who do not yet identify as MAP, BL/GL, or pedophile. These individuals need teaching that they are good people who are part of an oppressed minority. They need bringing into the fold. And this fold needs to be much more active in fighting back, even when it's scary to do so.

I will also be writing a letter to these men, as they're not exactly able to read my blog. Is there anything you'd like to say? Let me know in the comments, or by e-mail if you're shy.