Addendum: Ahmet

But I do think misogyny was a failing of many gay men in 1981 and is a failing of many gay men today. [...] So, despite the fact I find this an unfair criticism of Ahmet’s tale You have totally misunderstood my criticism of Ahmet's Tale. Laying aside the point I've already addressed, that I did not even mention misogyny, I would not for a moment blame Ahmet's lover Kemal for not liking women. It's simply a question of taste, but it should be his problem only and should concern no one else. Nor would I blame anyone if Ahmet, left to develop his tastes unpushed, also ended up finding no value in women. I would at least understand the point of view of most people in his society and indeed almost all societies that it was sad for him to miss out on what has brought happiness and fulfilment to most, but as long as it was entirely his choice, so be it. What disgusts me is Kemal's fierce determination to use his considerable influence over the boy to forge him into someone devoid of feeling for women all for his own selfish end (of thus having for himself what he considers an ideal lover). So selfish is his "love" that it's implied he would have forsaken Ahmet if the boy had been tempted by a beautiful woman. And then to make everything a hundred times worse still, he makes Ahmet undergo a huge amount of suffering, including being a slave in a brothel, all again for his own selfish ends. For nearly three centuries after Trumbach's "1700" the worst fear that most people had of letting boys near men who might be homosexual was that the boys would be turned into lifelong homosexuals themselves. A lot of effort was then made by decent boy-lovers to dispel this as a myth. And then along comes Kemal, everyman's worst nightmare brought to life, trying desperately hard to do what they most feared and were just beginning to believe was impossible. I think it would harder to be more sympathetic to conscientiously pursued boy-love than I am, but I don't think people like Kemal and his creator, and Tsang and his ilk if you are right they are on the same wave-length, should be allowed within a mile of a boy. When Bromios began blaming the boy-love movement of the 1970s for missing a golden opportunity and making things worse, I was intrigued but a little bemused, wondering if his argument might not be over the top, but every counter-argument you've made since has served to convince me that he's absolutely right. Boy-lovers of an older generation, Edward Brongersma, Roger Peyrefitte and Hajo Ortil, men who would never have dreamt of trying to turn a boy into a confirmed homosexual, each succeeded in making little strides against the tide in making people more sympathetic to pederasty, then your lot came along and did their best to help the enemy. I'm afraid it's right that you should be unequivocally blamed for this. There's no excuse that holds water. I strongly recommend The Tale of Ahmet as a Christmas present for a pedophobe lost for arguments. www.amazon.com/dp/1481222112