With all that has happened in the “AWARE Saga” as it has been called one has to take into account thing that have been said and those which have not been said. The points I’ll be covering are not all about the AWARE issues but are closely linked. Please take it with an open mind and consider how it will affect your future and your children’s future.
The way the “New Exco” took power was legal by definition. But as pointed out by my good friend Callan, it was the methods used.
Many know that AWARE had a small membership. This suddenly bloomed approximately 2-3 months before the AGM. With no new membership drives or public promotion this surge in new members can only have come from one source. Why has this not been brought up? Agreed that of the old members some may have voted for the “New Exco” but the majority which did were these new members.
Ok the “Old Guard” won the day with 1414 votes, what about the now 700 plus that voted against them? Surely you can see that this number is BIGGER than that which originally voted in the “New Exco”. So who is playing the numbers game?
The “Old Guard” is Pro-Lesbianism, Pro-Homosexuality. Lets be objective folks. How on earth can you be all inclusive if you EXCLUDE?
Logically if you start by stating “Lesbianism & Homosexuality is BAD!” what person in their right mind (Gay or Straight) will come to you expecting a Non-Biased reply and a willingness to help?
Calling it “neutral” is an expectable way of opening any dialogue. This does NOT mean you are Pro-Anything. It does show that you (and your organization) are Open Minded.
Religion condemns this way of life, you should burn in Hell!
Seriously, that is not the fastest way to win friends and influence people.
Certain religious group(s) have the view that you must make informed choices.
Show me at which point did they (gays & lesbians) not make an informed decision.
All this anti-homophobic sentiment being thrust at them is surely one big bit of information for them to decide the pros and cons.
Majority rule is NOT the right way. Religious views are not the yard stick by which choices are to be made.
So if someone disagrees with your point of view, they are not wrong. It shows that there always is another point of view.
Expecting someone to follow your view blindly is (my favorite word) MORONIC!
Lets bible quote folks (well kinds more like paraphrase) Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
Simply put I must say, and to those who need it broken down: Only kick someone in the nuts if you want the same to be done to you. Or be nice to others and they will be nice to you.
Maybe they can stop being gay/lesbian, huh? How about I ask you to stop being a colon cavity and throwing rubbish on the floor, or keep the lifts clean of your empty food packets, or throwing the junk mail you got on the floor?
Maybe I’m not being clear enough, being gay is NOT an alternative lifestyle. That is PC (politically correct) speak. When did you discover you were attracted to the opposite sex? Was it an informed decision? Suppose the majority view was Gay Is Right. Nah will never happen you cry. WRONG!! It happened, look up ancient Greek lifestyles. Sure it is the past, but it did happen and who’s to say it may not happen again.
Gay people are not in it for fun or fashion or for the sake of “sticking it to the man” (look up the meaning yourself). They honestly feel that way and I’m sure those who are religious have a hard time reconciling their faith with their belief.
Do they want to be labeled sinners? Look up the Scarlet Letter, good book which covers the moral views of the time it was written about. My point? Look around you folks how many divorced couples do you know. How many husbands and wives have had affairs. It is practically the norm these days. Why don’t you ask them to go about with a Scarlet Letter? You haven’t? They have a word for that, Hypocrite.
Sexual education in schools. Ooooh hot button topic! Why because of the Ostrich Syndrome. Stick your head in the sand and it goes away. Seriously folks I know you rather have the schools teach your kids everything, easier on your conscience right?
If something goes wrong BLAME the teachers and the school! Uh which part of Parenting did you not understand? Bringing up your own children with the standards and beliefs you have?
Lets take a quick look around, how many of you have been the victim of rude children? How many have been greeting by your little nephews and nieces with anyone telling them to? How many have had their child come home from school and say I’m going to marry my girlfriend/boyfriend?
Ok the last one was an obvious jab at Thio Su Mien. But this is all that you parents expect the school to be teaching them, while you hardly do the same. The old saying “Do as I say but not as I do” applies here. You show by deed and word what you want your little children to do.
Most of the time; they are screaming in public, running around and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Exactly when were you expecting the school to appear and tell them not to be a brat.
Now back to the hot button.
Sex education in school does NOT mean showing porno movies and giving tips.
It is a means to open up avenues of discussion with the children on topics you (the parent) won’t go near with a bio hazard suit and ten foot pole.
Exactly how were they supposed to know what to do if you won’t tell them? I know just turn on the TV and watch the latest shows. Yup that will work.
Why, only during and after this incident did concerned parent start coming out of the woodwork?
Because of, see my earlier point Ostrich Syndrome, because they expect the school to do the teaching. BUT! You cannot say SEX, Lesbian, Gay, where you can put what, what is safe, what is not safe, how, when, why.
Ok then, let some religious person teach. Lets see how that goes. A sample of basic questions that may be asked
1. Why are you called Father So-n-So if you have not kids and are not married?
2. My Lesbian friend calls other Lesbians Sister, Sister So-n-So does that mean you are a Lesbian?
3. Father So-n-So why do you wear a dress are you gay?
4. If sex is bad, am I bad because my mommy and daddy had sex?
I could go on but you get the idea.
This needs and open mind folks, things need to be said, values have to be set.
And it can be done without a religious slant, or making those who are gay/lesbian feel like genetic freaks.
How about practicing abstinence?
You can’t practice with without thinking about what you cannot do.
And what is it they cannot do? Heck if I know, because it cannot be talked about without mentioning all the taboo things that parents will not talk to their kids about.
A vicious circle it is.
MOE’s framework for sexuality education reflects mainstream views and values of Singapore society, where the social norm consists of the married heterosexual family unit.
The problem that arises is when you have gay couples married and/or with children. Why? Because then you have to explain why. Ohhh making your skin crawl eh?
It is not possible to explain it and stay unbiased, and as kids usually want a simple answer. Moral ambiguity, gray areas, its adult stuff, they will not understand.
So leave it to the schools to do the teaching.
But the schools are already teaching it, but they cannot say this, cannot say that.
A vicious circle it is.
So what have we learned?
Parents do you job! Teach your children the values they need. Explain why, don’t hide behind religion. Don’t segregate and humiliate, show them the way to understand what is going on in them biologically. Open their minds not close avenues of learning. Take responsibility for your own actions. Throw out the “it’s not my problem” attitude, because one day it just may be you and no one will help because it’s not my problem.
To AWARE let not the good that has come from this go to waste.
Don’t let it become again “that organization my mommy joined long ago”.
Make it the organization that mothers will encourage their daughters to join.
Make it the organization that men understand.
To us the people, what happened is a sign. We got too comfortable, even complacent.
There are people out there with “the right idea” just wrong ways of doing it.
It is easy to see how a coup can be done, and if no one got off their collective butts it would have succeeded.
