NAMBLA

Example of the NAMBLA Bulletin cover

The North American Man/Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) is an organization working for men that love boys. It provides services such as a prisoners' program (which organizes visits, correspondence, and news for the benefit of boylovers in prison) and publishes The Nambla Bulletin. The organization is currently developing "Coming out" guides for boylovers.

History

NAMBLA had its beginnings in the 1970s during the height of the Sexual Revolution. It was at first central in the nascent gay political-activism community. The first Gay Pride parades in New York City featured boylove-themed entries. After the Anita Bryant episodes of the 1970s NAMBLA became gradually less accepted by the leadership of the larger gay movement. By 1994, the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, the Nambla entry in the NYC Gay Pride parade was met with catcalls and derision by some observers, though not by all: some of the men and teenaged boys who marched that year were greeted with hugs and appreciation by a few of the onlookers. Note that this was the time that the same-gender oriented community became split. Many organizations such as NAMBLA and PROJECT TRUTH were no longer able to use the word " GAY ". Banned from the Pride Days and the community centres as well as the Gay Anarchists and other sympathetic and likewise scorned groups; once so an important part of the early GAY movement. When Gay meant same-gender oriented. This split was a result of the International Lesbian and Gay Association's attempt to gain greater acceptance within the United Nations - which failed -. Also the threats of the United States to withhold U.N. dues in retaliation towards perceived Anti-American groups. NAMBLA was counted amongst these groups.

During the first couple of years after the founding of Free Spirits, NAMBLA leadership provided some mentoring and advice to FSC members and referred the FSC to its first regular legal counselor.

Bill Andriette and Roy Radow are two of the more well-known leaders of NAMBLA during the first few years of the 21st century. Andriette writes a popular column in the gay tourist magazine, "The Guide", frequently addressing topics of interest to teen-boy lovers.

Teenager bias

NAMBLA is popularly viewed as an organization "of pedophiles", and "for pedophiles". But the leadership and membership of the organization tend to be skewed towards those who are primarily or exclusively interested in relationships with teenaged boys (which may be sexual or non-sexual) which is classified as ephebophilia, than in love of prepubescent boys, which is pedophilia. Ephebephilic relationships are legal in many jurisdictions around the world, while (sexually expressed) paedophilic relationships are legal in very few jurisdictions.

External links

• The NAMBLA home page