To the Jews, the Pharisees , Jesus was an apostate. But you have a point because he did not label himself as such. I see your point that those who accept the label are in a way validating the definition. Accepting the label is in a way accepting it's power.
I also see how people who accept the label given to them and live to make it a different definition, not applicable to the negative one.
Take a bad label and embrace it so the power of the bad is not so strong. Disabling the power. Redefining it in how they live thier lives. To contradict the JW definition.
This is what I see from many who proudly accept the label.