Dissident, thank you so much for going to this workshop - I know that you did this as much for all of us as yourself.

For that I am very grateful to you, and I'm sure that is shared by the rest of us.

I feel that you made an interesting point, when you said that many MHPs suffer as much as we do from stigma and demonization. This is actually very true - whilst there are many MHPs who continue to slavishly believe the dogma and misinformation about us, I do believe that there are some who are capable of thinking for themselves, and who are increasingly questioning the world view of MAAs.

Unfortunately, as you say, those MHPs do feel that espousing their more enlightened views would place their careers and livlihoods under threat.

The main problem is I feel, for both those MHPs and us, that a whole industry has grown out of CSA, and those at the top of this industry want to perpetuate the lies and dogma about us, in order to ensure the continued growth of this industry. Therefore those at the top want all MHPs to quietly toe the line and not make public any truths that are inconvenient to the CSA industry bosses.

Perhaps I am wrong in that analysis - I truly hope that I am, and I have never been one for conspiracy theories, but nevertheless, I do have experience of how things like this, which involve bases of power, sometimes work. Fear is very much a tool of power.

However, if we do not wish to be catagorized, stigmatized or demonized, we must first start by ensuring that we extend the same courtesies, consideration and respect that we seek, to others.

Thank you also for speaking up for us, and for cogently dealing with the myths and untruths about us that so many spread. I am sure that you were an excellent ambassador for us all, and I'm glad that you were able to attend this event. Very well done!

I'm also very glad that you had the opportunity to meet with other MAAs, and spend some time in their company. I'm sure that must have been a very valuable experience for you, and I'm happy that you enjoyed it.

I feel that all of this shows what I have thought for a very long time, and still hold to be true - that things can change; will change, even, as that is the nature of this world, and that things will get better for us.

It may take some time, and happen in small steps, but that doesn't matter. Lots of small steps, one after the other, can go a very long way indeed.

I too would also like to give my thanks to Mike Melsheimer and Richard Kramer for making this very positive step happen. Their efforts in this area should have the future support of us all, imo.

T.