Why I no longer identify as an anti-natalist I mean, that an anatalist would hold an anti-natalist to account for explicitly committing to the claim that one ought not have children, whilst they themselves do so implicitly, is like the pot calling the kettle black.
I think that the difference between the two is somewhat superficial. — Sapientia
This might get into territory that Thorongil is more suited to defend. It seems that anatalism, borrowing from weak anti-natalism, doesn't commit one way or the other in terms of the behaviour of the adherents. A weak anti-natalist as someone that believes having children is not wrong (permissible), can consistently hold the position and have children. In this sense, the prefix "a" meaning "without" might be a cognitive stumbling block to understanding the position since one might self-identify as "anatalist" and have children. In light of that, I'm not sure anatalism is susceptible to the hypocrisy criticism. There might be further obligations that an anti-natalist might feel is implicit in the position, for instance lobbying for policy change regarding infertility treatments.
One aspect I am having slight trouble understanding is the other horn of the position (i.e., but is not right/justified either). If "justified" is understood as "permissible" and "not wrong" is also understood as "permissible", the anatalist position seems to be: "having children is permissible and not permissible". I take "right" in the second half to mean "obligated" (i.e., it is impermissible to not have children), such that the anatalist holds it is permissible to have children and not impermissible (permissible) to not have children. The anatalist position is that having children or not having children are both permissible, and
only in the sense describing the life-style commitment does it cash out as practically indistinguishable from anti-natalism, which I would say is a fairly uncontroversial claim.
I might identify as somewhat anatalist as I understand the position, since I have some sympathies to anti-natalism but ultimately feel the position over-reaches in the strong moral claim.
*edit* I have two children, whom I love very much.