You wrote (in the linked post): *************************************************************************** . . . . My BL politics flows from that, my emphasis on the right of children to be sexual and to have freedom in choosing how they wish to be sexual, my sense that parents (because they care about their children and might therefore support their free self-expression) and gays in general (because many of them, like us, grew up stigmatized by the lack of that freedom) remain potential allies for us. For example, on the issue of gender identity choice. To the extent this issue gains public attention, we can find allies among parents and gays, if we are supportive of freedom of choice regarding gender identity for children. That does not mean we have to think it is a good idea for a 7-year-old to cut off his penis so he can play with dolls -- as BLs we vary widely in our views about the issue. But the parents and gays who are supportive on this issue exhibit the same variety. So alliances could be possible. Alliances always require finding common ground, but they need not require giving up differences and the exchange of views could benefit us and would certainly educate them. . . . . *************************************************************************** Agreed. I'm more and more convinced that we have to hitch our wagon to PARENTS and not the State. True, many parents will not allow their kids to love us. Well, then you have a sort of "Romeo and Juliet" situation which is bad, but not AS bad as a monolithic bureaucracy, "Big Brother." A parent can be appealed to and possibly reasoned with. Yeah, Big Brother has his court system and administrative "appeals," but I've had enough experience to prefer the more human appeal to a father and mother. Ugh, the "gender identity" for kids issue. That's a complicated quagmire I don't want to dip even my toe into yet! And alliances with (non-parental) gays? I don't know. The bourgeois Establishment gays I've known have been pretty hostile. But there's always hope. I think I'd prefer to reason with a loving Mother & Father of the particular boy. Will |