AWARE Group's agenda 'took gay turn'

Group's agenda 'took gay turn'

THE new executive committee of Aware on Thursday gave instances of how the agenda of the women's group had taken a lesbian and homosexual turn. The instances they cited:

PROMOTED A LESBIAN MOVIE

Aware sponsored the screening of the lesbian-themed movie Spider Lilies (above) at its charity gala. The film is about two lesbians who fall in love.

In response to a parent's complaint about the movie, then-president Constance Singam said Aware embraced diversity and individual choices and was glad Singapore is now more open to discussing diversity.

HELD A MEN'S WORKSHOP

It invited a Finnish activist as its speaker. The man was known to be a gender activist and started the men's sub-committee in Aware.

Lawyer Thio Su Mien said he spoke about sexuality and noted how Finland had once discussed state-funded artificial insemination for women. This, she said, led to questions such as same-sex marriage.

WANTS TO LET MEN VOTE

A proposal to give male affiliate members the right to vote was thrown out in 2008 but raised again this year.

The committee asked if this was a way to allow 'homosexual activist men' to come under the umbrella of Aware.

The exco was concerned about Aware wanting to give teenagers and foreign women the right to vote too.

SCHOOLS SEXUALITY PROGRAMME

In its comprehensive sexual education programme for youngsters aged 12 to 18, homosexuality is labelled as a 'neutral' word, along with 'sexy', 'pre-marital' and 'virginity'.

Recommended 'positive' words include 'pleasure', 'fun' and 'orgasm', while 'negative' words include 'pain', 'teenage pregnancy' and 'HIV/Aids'.

MOTHER'S DAY 2006

Aware held an event featuring lesbian-friendly mothers and lesbian daughters talking about themselves. The new team felt this was out of sync with how Mother's Day is usually celebrated.

INVITED GAY ACTIVIST ALEX AU

When Aware wanted to conduct health education courses, it invited Alex Au, 'a famous homosexual activist', to talk about HIV.

REACHING OUT TO TRANSVESTITES

Last year, when then-president Constance Singam wanted to raise membership, it was mentioned in a newsletter that she was going to talk to SG Butterfly, which they said is a group of 'queer women'.

Honorary treasurer Maureen Ong, 55, said that she joined Aware because she was alarmed at the direction Aware was heading.

'I am a mother of three children, so I'm concerned that going forward, what are the children going to be taught on as part of the so-called comprehensive sexual education?

'I don't want my children to say that oh, it's all right to go and experiment with homosexuality, to experiment with anal sex, to experiment with virginity or the pill or even pre-marital sex. I'm concerned. I'm a parent. It's shocking. How can this be done in our Singapore society?'

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