I agree with your post. No one has ever been beaten to death for writing fanfic. Fanfic can never be compared to an issue as fundamental as equality marriage. My civil rights have never been violated by writing fanfic. But I have some concerns that perhaps they could be.

I work in the PR profession. It's my job to help the companies I work for present a positive image to the public. As such, I feel I have to be very careful in separating my online persona from my work life. I'm in Canada, but the majority of companies I represent are headquartered in the U.S. Most of them would not be happy to discover that one of their representatives is writing slash online. They would argue that "it's not the kind of image we want to portray," and would probably ask to have me removed from their accounts. I fear that I could even be fired for my online activities.

So, yeah, I certainly don't feel oppressed by society at large, and in no way would I consider my situation equivalent to the strugle for equal rights. But there are fears there. Given the corporate climate in America these days, and the opposition we've already encountered from LJ, I feel those fears are justified.

I don't know whether OTW will help the situation or not. I fear it may even make it worse. Like you, I'm skeptical. But I'm willing to be convinced.