NAMBLA and the RSOL: Coming to Light

Thursday, September 06, 2012

ReformSexOffenderLaws.Org (RSOL) is planning on staging their 4th annual conference this weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico and so far it doesn't sound like it's off to a good start. Since the event has become public knowledge, the RSOL started copping flak from across the city; so much so that the Albuquerque Police Department felt the need to stage a town hall meeting on the subject.

Once again the RSOL however can't help but indulge in more lies when it comes to the subject of their administrator who also happens to have been NAMBLA's co-founder: Thomas Reeves.

Here's what the RSOL spokesman had to say on the topic:

After a “concerned constituent” alerted city officials to the conference, the City Attorney’s Office sent a letter to the hotel’s manager warning him about possible danger to guests and neighbors.

“We are concerned that there is a convention of persons who advocate sex between adults and minors so near locations where minors can be found outside the veil of parental protection,” managing assistant City Attorney Greg Wheeler wrote in the Aug. 21 letter.

Wheeler claimed the organization had ties to the North American Man/Boy Love Association, which advocates the abolishment of age-of-consent laws between men and boys.

Scott Pawgan, a Texas attorney who represents the group, said a former NAMBLA member was an administrator with the organization “years ago” but was asked to resign when his ties to the organization came to light.

Interesting that they should say Thomas Reeves was only let go once his affiliation with NAMBLA was discovered, when Paul Shannon (the current RSOL Natonal Coordinator) signed his name to the original Reform Sex Offender Laws petition (that was posted on BoyChat way back in 1998) which clearly stated that NAMBLA members were involved in drafting the petition:

A discussion group of about twenty people formed, hosted unofficially by a non-governmental organization. Participants included women who are incest and sex abuse survivors, NAMBLA members, anti-censorship and civil liberties activists, feminists, gay and lesbian people, health-care workers, church activists, peace and social justice activists, academics, and those who work with prisoners.

SIGNED:
Dr. Richard Pillard, psychiatrist;
Paul Shannon, educator;
Cathy Hoffman, peace activist;
Chris Tilly, economics professor;
Marie Kennedy, community planning professor;
Eric Entemann, mathematics professor;
Tom Reeves, social science professor;

If what Pawgan was saying is true, in that Reeves or 'Alex Marbury' (the pseudonym he would use for his online activities within the RSOL) was let go, funny that they should knowingly give a NAMBLA member a such a send off by mourning his death on the front page of their website:

Alex died in the hospital on Sunday February 19 after a year-long debilitating illness. All of us in RSOL are deeply indebted for his indefatigable efforts to end the registry and stand against the demonization of people labeled sex offenders. But his work on behalf of human rights for sex offenders was only a small part of Alex’s life and work for social justice and racial equality. No one of any background whose humanity was being violated would fail to receive Alex’s support and love. In next month’s Digest Alex’s good friend and admirer, Paul Shannon, an initiator of the RSOL project, will share a few of the details of Alex’s remarkable life.

It's blatantly apparent that the RSOL doesn't quite know how to deal with the problem Thomas Reeves has left them with: Some members try to deny and plead ignorance while others (like Pawgan) try to play down the significant role Reeves maintained within their organization. None of them want to address the ugly reality which we will make sure they never forget.