Re: Feminism or youth rights? Time to choose.

Thank you for a (typically) thoughtful response. Yes, the TERF issue is interesting because feminism hasn't decided what its stance towards trans should be. The same was true on the first confrontation of feminism with boylove in the late 70s. For a brief period there was an anarchic diversity of viewpoints. Since that time feminism has crystalised around a single viewpoint. So I do not see how the continued ambiguity of feminists with regard to the trans phenomenon is going to do much to help us. So far as feminism is concerned, the pederasty issue has been finally settled, thanks to progress. Yes, society doesn't want us buggering their kids, as you put it. The question is, why not, when society has changed its attitude on so many other issues (gays, feminism)? Why weren't we able to join in the alliance of feminists and gays? And why are we still excluded? Primarily, I think, because feminists are utterly opposed to us, to our very existence, to any notion that pederasty can be a legitimate sexuality. At least, that's how it seems to me. I think in an age in which some groups (such as adult gay men) have found their sexual freedoms expanded, kids have found that their's have been increasingly diminished, and I don't think the anxiety of fathers can account for it entirely. In any case, although fathers wanted to lock up their daughters, there was also a (contradictory) sense that boys were to spread their wild oats, or at least that this was natural behaviour. Boys' sexuality wasn't regarded as evil the way it is today, don't you think? Feminism has added something that didn't exist prior to feminism, something nasty and persecuting. I'll have to think about your remaining points, but let me just clarify my own stance. I would prefer a society in which boys went through a phase when they had adult male lovers and moved on to heterosexuality later on. I believe that, with the proper institutions, this would become natural. I don't believe that this applies to girls growing up (that is, I don't believe that they need have male lovers or lesbian women lovers - not that I am at all opposed to this when it happens). So yes, I do believe the sexes have different needs with respect to their sexual maturation. However, this is not because I regard male sexuality as problematic in itself. But I wish to make one thing absolutely clear. Regardless of social institutions, so far as I am concerned all consensual sex between any individuals of any gender and of any age should go completely unpunished, and the individuals unabjected. It is because feminism doesn't agree with this principle that I disagree with feminism.