The Public Television Service interview with Kaohsiung Ganghe Elementary School teacher Liu Yu-hao (劉育豪) in March included footage of his gender equality class, in which he taught third grade students about sperm, eggs and how to use a condom.
The classes, which were praised by students as well as their parents, drew vigorous attacks from anti-gay groups.
They not only bombarded the school and the Ministry of Education with incessant complaints by telephone, but also filed a lawsuit against Liu at the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office for committing an offense against morality.
Before the incident, many anti-gay groups had launched vicious attacks on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community as part of their opposition to same-sex marriage. By trying to impose their own beliefs and values on others and intervening in gender equality education, they have become a threat to the freedom of thought of the younger generations.
If they were right, then many things, from Greek fables to illustrated children’s books and many works of art, should be hidden from children.
Based on the same logic, posters made by government health centers to educate the public about safe sex and advertisements of condoms in supermarket catalogs would all be considered obscene.
Gender equality education should not be distorted because of the prudery of these groups. If, out of fear, people do not stand up for teachers like Liu, children’s education will be sacrificed.
Since the beginning of last year, some elected representatives have expressed strong opposition to same-sex marriage and gender equality education. While some did so because of their own religious beliefs, others did so in the hope of gaining votes.
Although they appear to be defending their personal beliefs, they really are trying to impose their beliefs on others. Indeed, their often irrational and aggressive attitudes have betrayed their true motivations for opposing gender equality: They are afraid that they could lose their power and benefits.
They view legislation on same-sex marriage and gender equality education as a threat to their religious doctrines and worry that they could lose their influence over their followers.
To protect their interests and to secure their influence, they would rather see human nature distorted. They treat people who do not have the same religious beliefs as enemies and tell people that if they do not obey their outdated doctrines, they will be damned.
They seem unable to understand that, if people always needed approval from society to have sex or to love someone, they would not be living for themselves and there would be little meaning to life.
Why are sexual assaults so common in India? What caused a young Taiwanese woman writer to commit suicide in April? Why is it that, according to certain traditions, married women must never go back to their biological families? Why are there always young schoolgirls getting abortions, believing that they are loved by the men who made them pregnant?
Do women choose to freeze their eggs because they love children, or because they feel compelled to do so to maintain their status in the family? And what kind of social pressure caused the two students of the Taipei First Girls’ High School to commit suicide together more than 10 years ago?
Respect for diversity is respect for people. No one should be living in the shadows as a result of social pressure from outdated ideas. The younger generations deserve better.
Chang Hsun-ching is a writer.
Translated by Tu Yu-an
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