Mu is an international umbrella organization seeking to represent the MAP community. While it supported the MAP Camp event being held, it has no ties with MAP Camp itself, nor with the organizers of the event.

MAP Camp was a planned social gathering for minor-attracted people (MAPs) that was scheduled to be held this weekend at a campground in Vermont. It was first organized in July of this year by civil rights group MEDAL (MAP Equality, Dignity, and Liberation) but soon after became independently run. Preparation for the camp seemed to be going smoothly until bullies on X (formerly Twitter) caught wind of the event and decided to launch an attack against it, doxxing some of the people involved in the camp in the process and jeapordizing their safety. Many of the comments on X involved death threats and incitements to violence; comments that would be deemed hate speech if directed at any other minority group.

Local law enforcement authorities were also contacted, but after looking into the event they concluded that no illegal activities were planned and that the MAPs involved were free to exercise their right to free speech and association. At a 3-hour long Marshfield Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, Lt. Thomas Howard, Vermont State Police’s Berlin Barracks commander, responded that “people having certain thoughts does not necessarily mean that they’ve committed a crime.” Mu applauds this stance in standing up for society's most oppressed minority group. While it is appropriate for law enforcement to investigate crimes when they occur, no-one should face legal sanctions for speaking freely about a sexual orientation they did not choose, nor for meeting up with others who have the same orientation.

Planned activities for the camp included hiking, bingo, dancing and a campfire, with no mention whatsoever of engaging in any way with minors. In fact, the event was explicitly restricted to over 18s. Some of the outrage mob on social media have pointed out that the camp ground rumored to be hosting the event is located near a school, yet none of the promotional material for the event show any awareness of the fact. It seems that cyberbullies with overactive imaginations think that MAPs are nothing but predatory, but mindless zombies. They seem to think that a MAP's desire for children is so strong that, against all logic, they would be willing to illegally enter a school that is in session to try and commit felonies that would rightfully land them in prison for decades. Clearly such an idea is ridiculous on its face. Far more likely is that the MAPs involved in the camp would stay far away from the school for fear of unfounded accusations.

It is unclear whether the event was cancelled or not due to safety concerns regarding the risk of being attacked by violent vigilantes. Although the VSP have pledged to work out "how best to manage any security-related and safety-related concerns for those involved and everyone in the vicinity" MAPs, even if they have never broken the law, are rightfully skittish about interacting with law enforcement. Many MAPs have a legitimate fear of engaging with law enforcement, even in a progressive state like Vermont. They are all too aware of the unwarranted arrests, sting operations and other injustices that other oppressed minority groups have historically faced and are wary of even law enforcement responses that claim to be supportive of First Amendment rights.

Regarding the event, Percy Shelley, communications officer of Mu said:

"It seems like people have been watching a little too much Law and Order: SVU. This wasn't some sex offender crime ring where young children were to be bought and sold at auction. If such a thing even exists, none of the MAPs I've met know anything about it. The camp was merely a group of adults with a particular sexuality who hoped to meet other adults with the same sexuality in a relaxed environment providing support and fellowship. The VSP seem to be the only adults in the room that have been able to look at the event rationally, assess whether it seemed to be a risk to the community or not, and their rightful conclusion is that rather than MAPs being a risk by holding this event, they are actually AT RISK of being attacked by violent vigilantes imagining monsters under the bed. Whether or not the event is able to be held this year, we express our gratitude to the VSP and hope that they will extend the same offer of legal protection from violence to MAP events that may be held in Vermont in the future."

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Published by The Mu Committee