a comment on the times

## a comment on the times

#### 2 June 2020
from a life less lonely

### leonard johnston

| How being in a minority helps me to view other minorities. Given the turmoil here in the US with the death of George Floyd, with all the riots and protests, I cannot imagine staying quiet. And yet, I cannot imagine what I could possibly post that would help. How could anything I say be useful in this national dialogue? Who'd even want to listen to me? I will just say this. I would prefer not to be a pedophile, but my pedophilia has given me some good things, and one of them is that I view the experiences of minority groups with a more accepting eye. Knowing how society views me makes me think about how society views others. Knowing that society discards my views makes me less likely to discard others'. If you really listen to the experiences of Black and Latinx people in the US, and if you really look at law enforcement statistics, then I believe you must see a deeply unjust situation. I don't see this as a one-sided issue; I support and depend upon the hard work of police as well, as do we all. However, that does not excuse fundamentally and systemically ignoring injustice, as we are often told to do. So I ask you, if you've taken anything from this blog, even if you leave still thinking that I and all pedophiles are the lowest scum, consider the perspectives of all, especially those most marginalized. If you truly listen and trust other people, and if you believe in the good intentions of others, then you can start to see the truth they see. When you truly listen to and trust other people, when you truly believe in the good intentions of others, you learn a great deal. About the author: After realizing my attraction at the age of 13, I began the journey of figuring out how to live a good life. When I eventually landed happily, I decided to share that journey with others. At first, I primarily wrote answers on Quora, which were viewed over a million times, liked thousands of times and led to numerous positive comments and discussions. I also started a blog, which was fortunate as a likely reporting campaign resulted in my Quora account being deleted, so much of my work remains online there. In addition to his writing (here and elsewhere), I enjoy board games, hiking, and spending time with friends. I have been part of the community for over a decade, seeking to do my part to make the world a better place. You can find the original article, along with reader comments (and the opportunity to leave your own) at Leonard's blog. |

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