You didnt say anything about "only the image counts", but I hear it all the time from those with similar views.

No, I dont understand why you would feel persecuted if curators etc shared my views, which are simply that digital imaging should be (and will be eventually, IMO) considered distinct from photography. This is not a prejudicial or discriminatory view (I have said many times neither is "better"). The only change to you would be that your work would hang on the DI wall instead of the photography wall. That wall is just as good as any other.