Originally Posted by cooker

Well, sorry if was one of the ones who seemed to be anklebiting - I was trying to attack posts not people.

I think there are some emerging themes in the thread about why there is a backlash against advocacy, and as I said there seem to be both overt and subliminal reasons. Overtly, people find advocates preachy, or trying to force their views on others, in some kind of smug, holier than thou way, or attacking other people for lifestyles they perceive as wrong. Subliminally, people may feel threatened by the proposed changes to the status quo, and (perhaps in some cases properly) guilty about their own behaviour, and angry at feeling that way.

But actually, that's fine. I remember one time in an argument with my wife, she complained "you always think you're right!"

Well, duh. Why would I argue if I thought I was wrong?

If we're going to advocate for something, and especially for social change, it's because we think our way is better or that the status quo is unsatisfactory, and of course that's going to ruffle feathers and disturb people who think the status quo is fine, and especially people who think the status quo is giving them an unequal edge. So I think it's inevitable there will be strong feelings and resistance to any kind of activism. It's almost like the implied question in the OP ("why is there a backlash against advocacy") is redundant, because the obvious answer is

"Well, duh."