Boylove

Boylove has it origins in antiquity and is the term that has been chosen by boylovers themselves to describe the strong feelings of affection and attraction (including a sexual component) that adults feel towards boys. "Boylove" was chosen to supplant the pejorative term "pedophilia" as well as to include "hebephilias"/pederasty. The term dissociates itself from the negative connotations of the clinical term "pedophilia," and more accurately defines the exclusive focus of the attraction -- male children and adolescents. It has been suggested that the Western as well as Near Eastern and Far Easterns origins of "boylove" may have have been Indo-European tribal customs.

Boylovers commonly assert that boylove is a natural phenomenon that has existed throughout human history, and is similar in nature to other accepted sexual orientations. Many other serious researchers have agreed. While boylove usually includes feelings of physical/sexual attraction to boys, boylove itself does not require, nor imply, sexual activity with boys. Boylove can be completely platonic, as the main concern of many or most boylovers includes providing love and guidance to boys.^{[Citation needed]}

There is debate on the nature of boylove. There are some who believe boylove is simply a noun for adults who are emotionally and physically attracted to boys and that there are no particular guidelines or requirements to being a boylover besides having the attraction to (and usually a very strong aversion to hurting) boys. Others believe boylove, in addition to the attraction, denotes a set of beliefs and values related to the treatment of boys and that one must adhere to these expectations to be considered a boylover. These values may include ideas such as boylovers should never expose boys to alcohol and drugs, that boylovers should never initiate sexual activities with boys, or even that boylovers should always refrain from sex with boys due to the potential legal risks to the boylover, and the (assumed and mostly disproved) "psychological harms" which the boy is said to be subject to. Universally accepted, however, is the idea that boylovers respect boys and do not hurt them.^{[Citation needed]} Boylove should never simply be considered a form of child abuse.

Foreign-language terms for "boylove

• (more to be added)
• Albanian: Ashik
• Japanese: Shounen'ai (少年愛)

See also

• Boylover
• Greek love
• Pederasty
• High Priest of Boylove
• A Problem in Greek Ethics (book) by Addington Symonds
• A Problem in Modern Ethics (book) by Addington Symonds

External links

• Could they ALL have been WRONG? (2005) David L. Riegel, SafeHaven Foundation Press: Philadelphia, ISBN 0-9676997-2-X (Download here.)
• Wikipedia: Pederasty in the modern world
• Pedophilia or boy love - boylove as seen by a gay columnist
• Indo-European Pederasty - Williamapercy.com
• Boylove: semantically correct? (defunct link)--see archived version here Boylove: semantically correct?]