Re: this is half response, half new post....

Most of my friends know that I am a hebephile...I have come out to them and I have yet to have anyone cease being my friend because of it. One of my more sensitive friends freaked out when I told her, but instead of ending our friendship she went into denial for a while and convinced herself that I told her that just to get some attention. With all the social conditioning she had received she couldn't imagine someone being both a hebephile and a good person at the same time. None of my friends have ever suggested to me that I "cure" myself or seek therapy to stop being a hebephile. All of them know that I DO NOT break the law, and thus are not worried that I will end up going to prison because of my attraction base (of course, there is still the worry that a LEO will try to frame me and "plant" evidence on me). The fact that I am a youth liberationist is also well known to my friends.

I'm sorry that your friend appeared to accept you and then suddenly did a 180 and told you that you should stop embracing what you are. But people are scared of what we are. They do not know how to react. What you need to assure a friend when you come out to them is that you do not break the laws, that most MAA's DO NOT molest children, that you are no danger to children, and that you are still a good person. If a friend knows you well enough and likes you a lot, they should be accepting of you regardless of where your orientation lies. It's true that some people may panic, go into denial, or maybe even try to convince you to "get help." My friends' acceptance of me has not necessarily made them more accepting of adult attraction to minors in general, and they still may mistrust the typical MAA, but at least having me as a friend has got them thinking and less willing to accept what they hear from the media without question.

I think your friend was just concerned about you, even if he did end up reacting out of ignorance. Having time to think about something doesn't always result in an enlightened response. But I don't think it's always a bad idea to come out to a good friend who knows you real well. Some of us have indeed had bad experiences, so it's always a calculated risk, but sometimes it's a risk worth taking. Just something to think about.