It seems to me that this sort of thing has more to do with avoiding negative stereotypes. Just like video fans not wanting to be labeled as "gamers" or anime fans not wanting to be labeled as "otaku," etc. Those terms, along with "brony" and many others can come with a host of negative stereotypes, and you can choose how you want to handle it. For me, I own the title so that it helps break down stereotypes rather than reinforce them. To separate myself from it would be to agree that the stereotypes are true, and then somehow need to distance myself from them.
For me it's easier just to have a conversation about MLP and being a brony head on, or to not discuss it at all if it's not the right place for it, rather than to seek some middle ground. But hey, to each their own.