Thank you for explaining, Ian. I understand the need for standardized sets of questions in order to have meaningful comparisons of data. I completed the survey answering the questions as best as I could.

I love that you had so many questions about the non-sexual aspects of our feelings and relationships with children. For me this is a huge part of being minor-attracted that I think few people realize. Reading common depictions of "pedophiles" gives the impression that we all regard children as sort of masturbatory tools rather than thinking, feeling people with whom we form friendships and fall deeply in love. I met one of my friends when she was 8 years old and fell head over heals in love with her. I valued the (non-sexual) physical affection she showed me as well as her curiosity and enthusiasm. We had lots of adventures together and I finally told her how I felt about her when she was a teenager when the two of us set off alone together on a 3 day backcountry camping trip. She didn't feel the same but I felt more comfortable around her knowing that she knew and I didn't have to worry about hiding it anymore. She's 20 now and we're still good friends. Our relationship never became sexual but I value every minute I spent with her and I hope she's always part of my life.

You had a question about treating children as equals that I thought was very insightful. I was recently dating a 19 year old with whom I had been (and still am) friends for several years. She'd had a crush on me since she was 16. She told me that one of the things that drew her to me was how differently I treated her compared to the way other adults treated her. She said that most adults talk to teenagers with condescension but I always spoke to her as an equal and she loved that about me. She said that even when she saw me talking to 10 year olds I was the same way, treating them as equals and genuinely valuing what they had to say. I'd always strived to be this way and it was nice to hear from a young person that I was successful.

Equality is the foundation of my view on age of consent as well, although I'm certain that my attraction to minors has made me think much more deeply about it than I otherwise would have. Each person decides when they are ready to become sexually active and with whom they share their sexuality. Governments, parents etc don't get to override the sexual consent of youth any more than they get to do so for adults. They can threaten and imprison MAPs for refusing to disregard youth desire and consent but might doesn't make right.

I just thought I'd mention this because you included a link to "virtuous pedophiles" in your survey. Their website includes the troubling statement, "a Virtuous Pedophile, virtuous because he is not going to do anything with a real child". This implies that anyone who does not concede to governments dictating youth sexuality is less virtuous. Many MAPs argue the exact opposite, challenging the non-contact claim to ethical superiority. At best there is a balance between civil disobedience to government violations of consent and avoiding putting a young person in the position of seeing someone they love hauled away in handcuffs for returning their affections. But it's lawmakers who created this ethical dilemma, not us.

I understand if you are unwilling to debate these issues if you see it as conflicting with your purpose as an impartial researcher collecting data, but I and I'm sure many others would appreciate hearing your thoughts on this if you don't see it as a conflict of interest.