Assimilationism

Assimilationism is a strategy in which a minority group or culture assumes broader society's values, behaviors, and beliefs in order to "normalize" itself and gain acceptance. While it is usually pointed to by MAPs within a derogatory context, assimilationist strategies have served important roles in previous civil rights movements. Assimilationism is to be distinguished from gradualism, although assimilationist arguments might sometimes support gradualist initiatives.

Examples

There are various examples of assimiliationism as applied to the present situation of MAPs:

• AC/NOMAP type ideologies are described as "assimilationist" by pro-c's. The assimilationism is said to be values-based, in that it accepts the prevailing narrative, often going as far as accepting that MAPs are psychologically disordered. Virtuous Pedophiles have been described as assimilationist on these grounds - see NOMAP for strategic criticism thereof. Newer MAP communities have debated the adoption of queerness as a form of MAP assimilationism.
• Pro-c type ideologies are described as "assimilationist" by AC/NOMAPs. Here, it is held that (say) arguing 20% of men are preferential hebephiles is an attempt to make MAPs "appear normal". This is a frequent criticism of those who support or deploy Newgon's information scheme - although it is usually stated inaccurately and hyperbolically, i.e. "Newgon pro-c trying to convince straight men on social media that they are all basically hebephiles".
• Pedophiles, or other MAPs with a low AoA often express discomfort with attempts by hebephiles to distance them on the basis of their age preference. Hebephile assimilationism has not thusfar been a fundamental challenge within the MAP Movement, however this is likely to change as (more numerous) hebephiles start joining the movement in numbers if and when it becomes more mainstream.

Gay assimilationism against MAPs

There exists an established trend of LGBTQ+ people distancing MAPs since the early postwar period, but predominantly since the culture-wars of the 1980s.

• In the 1980s and 90s, the LGBT Movement switched from a predominantly liberationist philosophy towards a "consenting adults only" assimilationism that excluded MAPs and embraced Gay Marriage and other initiatives such as "gays in the military". David Thorstad was one MAP who frequently criticized the mainstream gay movement as "assimilationist" to this end. This trend continues to this day, in the form of Validity Policing, and in organizations such as Gays Against Groomers.

Compatibility with Liberationism

Mieli's argument - example of a liberationist perspective that can not be reconciled with true assimilationism

One way of judging whether or not a stated position is truly assimilationist, is by verifying whether or not it can be reconciled with liberationist ideology - which tends to be incompatible with assimilationist goals. Taking, for example, Mieli's Gay Liberationist position inset and substituting Homosexuals with MAPs, we see that that aim of a MAP Liberationist would be to unshackle the MAP inside every other person.

The MAP's immediate method might be as simple as using prevalence arguments to convince his audience for example, that 50% of men are capable of being aroused by preteens. It is therefore easy to see that the Newgon argument above is not genuine assimilationism. This position is better described as integrationism, and is fully compatible with a liberatory philosophy.

See also

• Activist model
• Historical examples of LGBT-MAP unity
• Gays Against Groomers - A gay assimilationist organization that to some extent resembles a hate group.
• Validity Policing
• Debate Guide: MAPs are invalid
• Debate Guide: State hypocrisy - Suggests that the reasons for "othering" could be less than sound.
• Historical claims against Newgon (including assimilationism)
• Lolicon-MAP Equivalence Debate