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North American Man/Boy Love Association

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North American Man/Boy Love Association
Founded1978
FounderDavid Thorstad
TypeUnincorporated association
FocusPedophile, pedarasty activism and education
Location
Area served
USA
Members
N/A
Websitenambla.org

The North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) is a pedophile and pedarasty advocacy organization in the United States that works to abolish age of consent laws decriminalizing adult sexual contact with minors,[2][3] and for the release of all men who have been jailed for sexual contacts with minors that did not involve coercion.[2][4] Some reports state that the group no longer has regular national meetings, and that as of the late 1990s to avoid local police infiltration, the organization discouraged the formation of local chapters.[4][5] An undercover detective around 1995 discovered that there were 1,100 people on the rolls.[4] As of 2005 a newspaper report stated that NAMBLA was based in New York and San Francisco, and that it held an annual gathering in New York City and monthly meetings around the country.[4]

NAMBLA has been defended on free speech basis by poet and rights advocate Allen Ginsberg.[6] In 2004 professor and author Samuel R. Delany, in extended interviews about his novel Hogg stated he supported a group like NAMBLA because "abuse is fostered by the secrecy itself and lack of social policing". He expounded that "for thousands of years, relations we assume are abusive by definition (child marriages, slavery, child labor, etc.) were the social and legal norm, institutional and ubiquitous [..] behavior that we [today] find wholly unacceptable—flogging slaves, wife beating, and child beating (in the family, in the school, and at the factory)—was recommended by experts and clergymen as the most efficient and least disruptive way to maintain [social] order. All of these institutions changed, nevertheless, only when they were no longer economically feasible or beneficial to the greater society.[7]

Goals and positions

NAMBLA's website states that it is a political, civil rights, and educational organization whose goal is to end "the extreme oppression of men and boys in mutually consensual relationships."[8] According to the NAMBLA, some of the organization's primary positions are:

  • Supporting and promoting man/boy relationships: they hold that when consensual these relationships are not harmful.[9] One study they cite is the controversial Rind et al. paper.[10] The American Psychological Association position is that child sexual abuse is harmful and wrong, and that the study was in no way an endorsement of pedophilia.[11]
  • Age-of-consent reform: what NAMBLA describes as "empowerment of youth in all areas, not just the sexual."[8] Opponents argue that children are not capable of giving consent and that the power imbalance between adults and children makes any sexual relationship exploitative.

Operations

NAMBLA, and it's affiliated organization, Zymurgy, Inc., are controlled by a Steering Committee.[12] NAMBLA publications include:

  • NAMBLA Bulletin, a quarterly publication sent to dues-paying members[12] In 1996 co-founder David Thorstad complained that, "The Bulletin is turning into a semi-pornographic jerk-off mag for pedophiles." Other members insisted that the group only had a minority who were pedophiles, with the majority being pederasts.[5]
  • Gayme Magazine, a publication mailed periodically to dues-paying members and sold at some bookstores.[12] It was a periodical published by NAMBLA during the 1990s that became involved in obscenity lawsuits.[13]
  • TOPICS, a series of booklets providing more focused consideration of issues related to "man-boy love"[12]
  • Arrel's Pages, a project through which literature concerning "man-boy love" was sold
  • A prison newsletter[12]

William Andriette was the editor of the NAMBLA Bulletin and Gayme.[14]

History

Events such as Anita Bryant's "Save Our Children" campaign in 1977, and a police raid of Toronto-area gay newspaper The Body Politic for publishing "Men Loving Boys Loving Men" set the stage for the founding of NAMBLA.[5]

In December 1977, police raided a house in the Boston suburb of Revere. Twenty-four men were arrested and indicted on over 100 felony counts of the statutory rape of boys aged eight to fifteen. Suffolk County District Attorney Garrett Byrne found that the men used drugs and video games to lure the boys into a house, where they photographed them as they engaged in sexual activity. The men were members of a "sex ring", and said that the arrest was only "the tip of the iceberg."[5] The arrests sparked intense media coverage, and local newspapers published the photographs and personal information of the accused men. The "Boston-Boise Committee", a gay rights organization, formed in response to these events and to protect the "rights of gay men" and promote "gay solidarity." NAMBLA's founding was inspired by this gay rights organization.[15] It was founded by the gay historian, David Thorstad.

In 1982 a NAMBLA member was linked to the disappearance of Etan Patz. Although the accusation was groundless, the negative publicity was disastrous to the organization.[16] NAMBLA published a book documenting the events, A Witchhunt Foiled: The FBI vs. NAMBLA.[17]

Mike Echols, the author of I Know My First Name is Steven, infiltrated NAMBLA and his observations are recorded in his book, published in 1991. At one point he published the names, addresses and phone numbers of 80 suspected NAMBLA members on his website.[5]

In 1994 NAMBLA was expelled from the International Lesbian and Gay Association. Chicken Hawk: Men Who Love Boys was produced and directed by Adi Sideman in 1994. Members of NAMBLA were interviwed and presented defenses of the organization. Allen Ginsberg appeared in the film.[18]

In 2000, Robert and Barbara Curley sued NAMBLA for the wrongful death of their son. The suit added to the widespread outrage. A NAMBLA founder speculates that the case will "break our backs."[5] The suit was eventually dismissed. Media reports from 2001 have suggested that for practical purposes the group no longer exists and that it consists only of a web site maintained by a few enthusiasts.[5][failed verification]

Relations with LGBT organizations

Gay organizations, in the beginning, were very supportive of NAMBLA.[19] However, opposition to NAMBLA was evident in the conference that organized the first gay march on Washington in 1979.[20]

In 1980 a group called the "Lesbian Caucus – Lesbian & Gay Pride March Committee" distributed a hand-out urging women to split from the annual New York City Gay Pride March because the organizing committee had supposedly been dominated by NAMBLA and its supporters.[20] The next year, after some lesbians threatened to picket, the Cornell University gay group Gay PAC (Gay People at Cornell) rescinded its invitation to NAMBLA founder David Thorstad to be the keynote speaker at the annual May Gay Festival.[20] In the following years, gay rights groups attempted to block NAMBLA’s participation in gay pride parades, prompting leading gay rights figure Harry Hay to wear a sign proclaiming "NAMBLA walks with me" as he participated in a 1986 gay pride march in Los Angeles.[21]

Thus by the mid-1980s, NAMBLA was virtually alone in its positions and found itself politically isolated. Gay rights organizations, burdened by accusations of child recruitment and child abuse, had abandoned the radicalism of their early years and had "retreat[ed] from the idea of a more inclusive politics,"[19] opting instead to appeal more to the mainstream. Support for "groups perceived as being on the fringe of the gay community," such as NAMBLA, vanished in the process.[19]

In 1994 the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) adopted a "Position Statement Regarding NAMBLA" saying GLAAD "deplores the North American Man Boy Love Association's (NAMBLA) goals, which include advocacy for sex between adult men and boys and the removal of legal protections for children. These goals constitute a form of child abuse and are repugnant to GLAAD." Also in 1994 the Board of Directors of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) adopted a resolution on NAMBLA that said: "NGLTF condemns all abuse of minors, both sexual and any other kind, perpetrated by adults. Accordingly, NGLTF condemns the organizational goals of NAMBLA and any other such organization."

In 1994 NAMBLA, along with many members of the Gay Liberation Front participated in the "The Spirit of Stonewall" march which commenorated the 1969 Stonewall Riots.[22]

In 1994, Pat Califia[23] argued that politics played an important role in the gay community's rejection of NAMBLA, however, Califia has since completely repudiated his earlier support for NAMBLA.[24]

Almost all gay rights groups are opposed to the pedophile agenda of NAMBLA and similar organizations, and reject claims that homosexuality and gay rights can be seen as an analogy for pedophilia or the abolition of age-of-consent laws.

The International Lesbian and Gay Association controversy

In 1993, the International Lesbian and Gay Association achieved United Nations consultative status. NAMBLA's membership in ILGA drew heavy criticism and caused the suspension of ILGA. Many gay organizations called for the ILGA to dissolve ties with NAMBLA. Republican Senator Jesse Helms proposed a bill to withhold $119 million in U.N. contributions until U.S. President Bill Clinton could certify that "no UN agency grants any official status, accreditation, or recognition to any organization which promotes, condones, or seeks the legalization of pedophilia, that is, the sexual abuse of children". The bill was unanimously approved by Congress and signed into law by Clinton in April 1994.

IN 1994, ILGA expelled NAMBLA and two other groups (MARTIJN and Project Truth) because they were judged to be "groups whose predominant aim is to support or promote pedophilia." Although ILGA removed NAMBLA, the U.N. reversed its decision to grant ILGA special consultative status. Repeated attempts by ILGA to reacquire special status with the U.N. were finally successful in 2006.[25]

Gregory King of the Human Rights Campaign later said that "NAMBLA is not a gay organization ... They are not part of our community and we thoroughly reject their efforts to insinuate that pedophilia is an issue related to gay and lesbian civil rights."[26] NAMBLA responded by claiming that "man/boy love is by definition homosexual," that "man/boy lovers are part of the gay movement and central to gay history and culture," and that "homosexuals denying that it is 'not gay' to be attracted to adolescent boys are just as ludicrous as heterosexuals saying it's 'not heterosexual' to be attracted to adolescent girls."[26]

Curley v. NAMBLA

Main article: Curley v. NAMBLA

In 2000, a Boston couple, Robert and Barbara Curley, sued NAMBLA for the wrongful death of their son. According to the plaintiffs, Charles Jaynes and Salvatore Sicari, who were convicted of murdering the Curleys' son Jeffrey, "stalked ... tortured, murdered and mutilated [his] body on or about October 1, 1997. Upon information and belief immediately prior to said acts Charles Jaynes accessed NAMBLA's website at the Boston Public Library."[12] According to police, Jaynes had eight issues of a NAMBLA publication in his home at the time of his arrest.[citation needed] The lawsuit further alleged that "NAMBLA serves as a conduit for an underground network of pedophiles in the United States who use their NAMBLA association and contacts therein and the Internet to obtain child pornography and promote pedophile activity."[12] Jaynes wrote in his diary, "This was a turning point in discovery of myself.... NAMBLA's Bulletin helped me to become aware of my own sexuality and acceptance of it [...]."[27]

Citing cases in which NAMBLA members have been convicted of sexual offenses against children, Larry Frisoli, the attorney representing the Curleys, argued that it is a "training ground" for adults who wish to seduce children, in which men exchange strategies on how to find and groom child sex partners. Frisoli also claimed that NAMBLA has sold at its website what he called "The Rape and Escape Manual" that detailed how to avoid being caught and prosecuted.[28] The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) stepped in to defend NAMBLA as a free speech matter and won a dismissal based on the fact that NAMBLA is organized as an unincorporated association, not a corporation. John Reinstein, the director of the ACLU Massachusetts, said that although NAMBLA "may extol conduct which is currently illegal", there was nothing on its website that "advocated or incited the commission of any illegal acts, including murder or rape".[29]

The Curleys continued the suit as a wrongful death action against individual NAMBLA members, some of whom were active in the group's leadership. The targets of the wrongful death suits included David Thorstad, a co-founder of NAMBLA and well-known writer. The Curleys alleged that Jaynes and Sicari, who were convicted of the rape and murder of their son, were members.[citation needed] The lawsuit was dropped in April 2008 after a judge ruled that a key witness was not competent to testify.[30]

Criticism and response

NAMBLA is perceived as a front for the criminal sexual exploitation of children, functioning as a meeting place for male pedophiles and pederasts and their sympathizers.

Onell R. Soto, a San Diego Union-Tribune writer, wrote in February 2005: "Law enforcement officials and mental health professionals say that while NAMBLA's membership numbers are small, the group has a dangerous ripple effect through the Internet by sanctioning the behavior of those who would abuse children."[4]

NAMBLA rejects the widely held view that sex between adults and minors is always harmful, arguing that "the outcomes of personal experiences between adults and younger people primarily depend upon whether their relationships were consensual.",[9]

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See also

References

  1. ^ "Readings". Nambla.org. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  2. ^ a b Holmes, Ronald M. (2002). Current perspectives on sex crimes. SAGE. p. 165. ISBN 0761924167. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ M DeYoung (March 1989). "The World According to NAMBLA: Accounting for Deviance". Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare. 16 (1): 111–126.
  4. ^ a b c d e Soto, Onell R. (2005). 'FBI targets pedophilia advocates: Little-known group promotes 'benevolent' sex', San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 February.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Boston Magazine, Boy Crazy, By Benoit Denizet-Lewis, May 2001". Bostonmagazine.com. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  6. ^ "Royal tales of infamous celebrities. | Europe Intelligence Wire (August, 2004)". Accessmylibrary.com. 2004-08-28. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  7. ^ Delany, Samuel R.; Freedman, Carl (2009). Conversations with Samuel R. Delany. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 143. ISBN 9781604732788. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  8. ^ a b "Who We Are." North American Man/Boy Love Association. www.nambla.org/welcome.htm. Accessed 2010-08-26.
  9. ^ a b NAMBLA: What Does Science Have to Say?
  10. ^ Lilienfeld, SO (2002). "When Worlds Collide: Social Science, Politics and the Rind et al. (1998) Child Abuse Meta-Analysis" (pdf). The American Psychologist. 57 (3): 177–187.
  11. ^ Martin, S (1999-07-01). "APA defends stance against the sexual abuse of children". APA Monitor. 30 (7).
  12. ^ a b c d e f g "Curley v. NAMBLA". Thecpac.com. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  13. ^ Memorandum and Order on Motions to Dismiss, March 31, 2003.
  14. ^ Haggerty, George E (2000). Gay histories and cultures: an encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 628. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
  15. ^ "Gay Community Fights Back (1978)". We Raise Our Voices. Northeastern University. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
  16. ^ Jenkins, Philip (2004). Moral Panic: Changing Concepts of the Child Molester in Modern America. Yale University Press. p. 158. ISBN 9780300109634. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  17. ^ Kennedy, Hubert (1986-05-13). "A Witch-hunt foiled: The FBI vs. NAMBLA". The Advocate (446): 54. book review {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  18. ^ Holden, Stephen (1994-07-08). "FILM REVIEW; Men Who Love Boys Explain Themselves". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-09-01.
  19. ^ a b c Johnson, Matthew D. (2004). NAMBLA on glbtq.com.
  20. ^ a b c Thorstad, David (February 1990), "Man/Boy Love and the American Gay Movement", Journal of Homosexuality, 20 (1 & 2), Routledge: 251–274, doi:10.1300/J082v20n01_15, ISSN 0091-8369
  21. ^ Hogan, Steve and Lee Hudson (1998). Completely Queer: The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia. New York, Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0805036296.
  22. ^ Bronski, Michael (2002-11-07). "The real Harry Hay". The Phoenix. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
  23. ^ Califa, Pat (1994). "The Aftermath of the Great Kiddy-Porn Panic of '77," The Culture of Radical Sex.
  24. ^ "''Radical Transformation'', Writer Patrick Califia-Rice has long explored the fringes. Now the former lesbian S/M activist is exploring life as a man, San Francisco Chronicle, Rona Marech, October 27, 2000". Sfgate.com. October 27, 2000. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  25. ^ "''Economic and Social Council Approves Consultative Status for Three Non-Governmental Organizations Focusing on Gay, Lesbian Rights'', Economic and Social Council ECOSOC/6242, December 11, 2006". Un.org. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  26. ^ a b "Gamson, Joshua (1997). ''Messages of Exclusion: Gender, Movements, and Symbolic Boundaries''. Gender and Society 11(2):178-199". Links.jstor.org. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  27. ^ From CNN & Time Correspondent Kathy Slobogin (January 5, 2001). "Parents of murdered child sue child-sex advocates - January 8, 2001". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2009-10-07. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  28. ^ Murdock, Deroy (2004). "No Boy Scouts: The ACLU defends NAMBLA."
  29. ^ Reinstein, John. "ACLU Agrees to Represent NAMBLA in Freedom of Speech Case." ACLU of Massachusetts Press Release, 9 June 2003.
  30. ^ Saltzman, Jonathan. Curley family drops case against NAMBLA, The Boston Globe, April 23, 2008

Further reading

External links

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