Aware should neither promote nor reject homosexuality

Aware should neither promote nor reject homosexuality

I READ with great interest the continuing Aware saga, and the opinions held by some that religion and homosexuality are irrelevant to the roles of the new executive committee.

I do not believe that the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) should be in the business of promoting or rejecting homosexuality. In its 24-year history, homosexuality has never been an issue of contention on Aware's agenda.

As it sought to protect and promote the rights of women, Aware respected the existence of individuals with alternative lifestyles and diverse religious backgrounds, without calling undue attention to these differences.

It is fair to say that accepting and tolerating homosexuality are not equivalent to the promotion of it. Call it the "live-and-let-live" stance, one that is also taken by the secular Singapore Government. To put the issue at the forefront of Aware's charter would have been wrong.

The current cloud of suspicion arose not because of the personal beliefs held by members of the new exco. They are entitled to these opinions. It is the possibly the means by which the new exco took office that have caused the current controversy.

The spirit of democracy has an underlying assumption: that the electorate is legitimate. If there was election engineering at work, and members have not been completely forthcoming about their motives, democracy would have failed in its purpose, and Aware will suffer as a result over the long term.

While Aware should not be a proxy for gay interest groups, neither should it stand for the rejection of homosexuality. Being "pro-women, pro-family, pro-Singapore", in the words of newly appointed president Josie Lau, does not mean one is anti-gay. Likewise, I hope people pause to recognise that being gay does not mean one is anti-women, anti-family and anti-Singapore.

In an educated society, people should be free to speak for or against the issue of homosexuality, as long as they do it in the spirit of peace, order and responsibility. Both points of view need to be heard so that balance and consensus can be achieved.

Aware is Singapore's most established non-governmental organisation, and it is unfortunate that the spirit of unification that has long been the hallmark of its reputation has been shredded to pieces within a matter of weeks.

Daniel Tan

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