Behind the banner of “inclusion” and “affirmation,” a highly controversial conference is taking place in Ohio this weekend — training licensed therapists to treat pedophilic attraction not as a disorder to be addressed, but as an identity to be embraced.
B4U-ACT, a Maryland-based nonprofit, is holding the event from May 2 to 4, under the title: “Demystifying and Thriving: Understanding MAPs and Fostering Fulfilling Lives.” The stated purpose of the conference is to equip mental health professionals to work “confidently and affirmingly” with individuals who are sexually attracted to minors — known in clinical terms as “MAPs,” or Minor-Attracted Persons.
According to reporting by Christina Buttons for City Journal, the event is focused on promoting “affirmative MAP therapy”, a highly controversial approach that, rather than seeking to reduce or manage a person’s attraction to minors, encourages clients to view their attraction as “an intrinsic part of their identity.”
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Buttons writes that the conference “is designed to train mental-health providers” in this therapy, which stands in sharp contrast to traditional treatments aimed at curing pedophiles of their urges, preventing harm and managing risk.
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Workshops include “From Shame to Self-Acceptance” and “Creating Safe In-person MAP Spaces.”
The conference brochure reads:
“Although awareness of minor attracted persons (MAPs), their mental health needs, and effective therapeutic approaches to meet them is growing rapidly, many mental health providers feel unequipped to provide affirmative MAP therapy. This conference will allow attendees, both new and experienced, to have their questions and concerns addressed openly, and to become empowered to work confidently and affirmingly with MAPs.”
Sessions will delve into topics such as “the nature of attraction to minors, the multilevel stressors to MAPs’ mental health, their lived experiences and needs, and effective therapeutic approaches.” Organizers also promise “thought-provoking and practical sessions about topics such as day-to-day issues MAPs face, self-acceptance, and thriving.”
Therapists who attend the program are eligible to receive continuing education credits through the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners, further raising concerns about the institutional legitimization of these ideas.
Presenters include individuals who openly identify as MAPs. Murray Quinn, listed as he/him, describes himself as “a 20 something, Transmasc, Queer MAP” and claims to have been involved in the MAP community since 2014.
Nadav Antebi-Gruszka, who uses they/them pronouns, is described as “the co-founder of Heartspace Therapy, a private group practice in NYC proudly serving and celebrating sexual and gender diverse people, and especially MAPs.”
Another presenter, Kristin Spooner (she/they), states that one of her “biggest passions is offering sex-positive and judgment-free treatment to individuals navigating minor-attraction.” While in graduate school, Spooner created “an anti-stigma curriculum for master’s level students” and is now a program coordinator for the MAP Support Club (MSC)with the Prostasia Foundation. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Minor-Attracted Persons Special Interest Groupthrough the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists.
One speaker, known only as “Matt,” claims he has been active in the MAP community since 2023 and has facilitated the creation of “an in-person support and social group for MAPs.”
The involvement of Prostasia, a nonprofit group that explicitly aims to destigmatize sexual attraction toward minors, has only added fuel to the fire. Though the group insists it does not advocate for pedophilia and draws a distinction between attraction and behavior, its messaging has drawn sharp criticism. Prostasia promotes what it calls a “sex-positive” approach to MAP-related issues and openly opposes efforts to reduce or treat the attraction itself.
B4U-ACT, the main organizer of the conference, describes itself as “a collaborative effort of therapists, researchers, and minor-attracted people” with a mission “to promote a science-informed understanding about people in our communities with an attraction to children or adolescents, and to support them living in truth and dignity.”
The group claims that attempts to “alter pedophilic desires are not just ineffective but unethical,” and goes as far as comparing such efforts to conversion therapy for homosexuality. It also discourages clinicians from diagnosing clients with Pedophilic Disorder, and instead promotes the view that “pedophilia is a sexual age orientation.”
The implications of this event stretch far beyond the walls of a conference center. Critics argue that the normalization of MAP identity under clinical language like “affirmation” and “inclusivity” risks eroding critical safeguards designed to protect children. For others, the event represents a dangerous reframing of sexual disorders as legitimate identities deserving of validation — and state-sanctioned professional support.