Boylove

Boylove is a MAP attraction to boys. A person experiencing such an attraction is called a boylover (commonly abbreviated as BL).

Definition
BoyChat user Alexis proposed the following definition of "boylover" in 1997: “a person who when he or she falls in love, tends to fall in love with a boy”. This definition is notable for not assuming the BL to be male, as well as not implying or demanding sole or exclusive attraction. Boylovers who are attracted to particularly young boys may call themselves little boy lovers, commonly abbreviated as LBL.

History and Community
Historically the topic of minor attraction is quite closely connected to male queerness, given how non-normative age preferences first gained attention of doctors in connection with non-normative gender preferences. NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association), one of the most widely known and infamous MAP organizations, also consists of queer men. This gender homogeneity prompted some boylovers to regard their role in the lives of boys they are attracted to as something close to mentorship. "Boylover proponents of this view point to the ability of an adult male to serve as a mentor and role model to a boy, in a sense teaching him 'how to be a man,' which they claim has no analogue in a girllove relationship." - BoyWiki on boylove and girllove The gap between BL and GL communities lessened with time due to common spaces such as Life Line or newer groups on mainstream social media platforms.

Symbols
The boylove logo, or BLogo (pictured above) was developed by Free Spirits user Kalos along with his partner in 1997. According to his design, the boylover is presumed to be a man.

International Boylove Day
The International Boylove Day is celebrated on winter and/or summer solstice (21st-22nd of December or June accordingly). A common celebration theme is lighting a blue candle to honor fellow boylovers and boys you love.

BoyChat
BoyChat is one of the oldest online MAP spaces that kept their relevance. It was founded by Kasper on December 29, 1995, and the first few years of its existence are described by Alexis. It changed admins, addresses, and hosts multiple times, but kept connecting boylovers all over the world.