Sex sells in new Chinese cultural revolution

Posted: 25 June 2009 1141 hrs

Mannequin dressed in sexy lingerie at the show window of an adult sex-toys shop in Beijing.

BEIJING: Shopping for a new negligee, Beijing resident Ha Li is looking for that is, as she puts it, "as easy to take off as to put on".

Filling such needs is getting easier for Chinese like Ha, 23, who browses an array of vibrators, bondage gear, and other assorted goods like "Go Deep Oral Sex Mints" in a new Beijing sex shop.

Stores selling sex paraphernalia seem to be on every block in many parts of Beijing, catering to what experts say is a swelling sexual revolution led by a growing middle class, particularly the younger generation.

"It is very attractive to younger people," said Ha, a repeat customer at the shop, Boutique De L'Amour - which like many sex shops hangs out a shingle calling itself an "adult health" store.

"These kinds of shops help to lead you to new things. They raise the consciousness of sex and keep up with changing needs. Being more open is a very positive thing," she said.

While prostitution has made a conspicuous comeback in China from the puritan days of radical communist rule, open personal expressions of sexuality remain modest compared to the West.

But the atmosphere has loosened after 30 years of exposure to the outside world, said Li Yinhe, a well-known commentator on sexual issues.

Despite government efforts to rein in Web porn, the sexual frontiers are being pushed by a more adventurous generation of mostly urban young people, she said.

"China's youth is at the forefront of this. Youths today have grown up in the Internet age and have been exposed to new things as never before, which has had a huge impact," Li said.

In a reflection of the changing attitudes, the Ministry of Education in December called for sex education to begin as early as primary school, amid fears about AIDS and unwanted pregnancies as more young people experiment with sex.

"Previously this sort of information was for high school students only, and teachers would pass over those pages in the textbook and leave them to read on their own," Xinhua news agency said in a recent report.

Beijing and Shanghai each have more than 2,000 sex-related shops, according to state media, catering to an increasingly discerning shoppers like Ha.

"In Beijing, good quality sex products have only begun to come out in the past year," said Ha, an aspiring painter.

"The demand is big and the consciousness of sex is steadily growing."

Yang Zi, 25, opened Boutique L'Amour last month to tap this market.

While the vast majority of Beijing's sex shops are tiny cramped collections of cheap and low-quality Chinese-made goods, Yang pushes the envelop both on price and raciness with her mostly imported products.

In the front window stands a mannequin in a leather bondage bikini. Nearby, a 5,000-yuan (730-dollar) harness used for upright intercourse hangs suspended from the ceiling with accompanying stirrups.

Other sex toys range in price from 200 yuan up to a princely 7,000 yuan.

Splattered red paint covers the floor like blood stains, while a loft upstairs features a bed on which sex paraphernalia is displayed.

China's new prosperity is allowing people to think more about sex, Yang said, quoting a Chinese adage that translates as "Only once you have enough to eat and warm clothes to wear can you satisfy sexual desires".

Most of her customers are women unfulfilled in bed, said Yang, who often fields follow-up calls by customers confused by what they bought.

"It doesn't matter which country you live in, every one needs it (sexual pleasure). It is an extension of life, the essence of living," said Yang, who perches on four-inch heels and sports a nose ring.

Yet, she said, deep-seated conservatism about sex endures in China.

It took some convincing to get city authorities to approve the Chinese name of her shop, Ao Tu - two characters which resemble the female and male sexual organs.

And Yang still hasn't found the courage to tell her parents back home in the northwestern province of Gansu about her business venture.

"They are very conservative and I don't want them to worry needlessly about me. They might think I have gone bad," she said.

- AFP/il

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

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Talk about the birds and the bees

Letter from Geraldine Wee

I refer to “Not until Aware regains trust: Education Minister” (May 22). I regret to hear Aware president Dana Lam’s remarks that the association feels the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) move to stop them from teaching sex education classes is “regrettable” and caused by “considerable pressure from parents”.

Perhaps what Ms Lam fails to see is that there were no complaints for two years not because parents agreed to what their syllabus taught, but because they were ill-informed and ignorant about what their kids were being exposed to. Sure, there may have been some good facts on sexually transmitted infections and HIV but that does not excuse the other areas which are against the norm of society and the parameters set by the Government.

I doubt that the MOE was pressured by parents to act; they acted based on the facts they were confronted with in the handbook.

I am relieved though, that the MOE has given very definite guidelines on what will be taught during such classes and that parents will be given handouts clearly stating what is being taught in class. It is not just students who need to be informed, parents too need to be educated on how to support and talk to their children about issues of sexuality.

Parents need to be more open and encouraging so that it does not get awkward for their kids to ask them about sex. Parents must play an active role in guiding their children — it is neither the MOE’s nor the school’s responsibility.

From TODAYOnline.com, Voices – Monday, 25-May-2009; see the source article here.

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‘Homosexuality is not neutral’

Letter from James Ray

04:02 PM May 08, 2009

I REFER to “Don’t skirt the issue by shielding children,” (May 6).

It seems Mr Joseph Wong has missed the main point of “conservative” parents’ concerns.

As a conservative parent who has worked with and counselled teenagers for more than 20 years, I am not against my children learning about sex in general and homosexuality in particular, once they are old enough to understand such issues. Sex and homosexuality are not “taboo” topics to be avoided.

However, they must be addressed carefully, and parents such as myself are concerned about who is teaching our children and what is being taught.

I do not know any of Aware’s Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) trainers, so I cannot comment on whether or not they are “experienced professionals”. But I have seen a copy of Aware’s CSE training materials pertaining to sex. The fact that homosexuality is listed as “neutral” is of concern to me. Considering the physical nature of sex, the sexual union of a man and a woman has the potential to create another human being. This is natural. As such, I cannot consider homosexuality as “neutral”.

In addition, Singapore law classifies homosexual acts as illegal, so how can any material used in public schools teach that homosexuality is neutral?

I am not against my children attending a talk on homosexuality, if the talk is based on the fact that homosexual acts are not normal. However, if the talk promotes homosexuality and other unusual sexual acts as “neutral”, then I am against my children attending such a talk, because they are still young and impressionable.

Personally, I believe topics such as sex should be taught at home rather than at school, as morality must be considered.

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 08-May-2009

Did MOE do its homework?

‘Contradictory’ statements lead reader to conclude Ministry was unaware

Letter from Henry Koh Chiew Phor

04:02 PM May 08, 2009

I REFER to “Aware’s, other sex ed courses put on hold” (May 7).

It was reported that the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) assessment was that in some other aspects, the instructors’ guide does not conform to MOE’s guidelines. In particular, some suggested responses in the instructor’s guide are explicit and inappropriate, and convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex.

If the guide does not conform to MOE’s guidelines and the responses in the guide are inappropriate, why did MOE issue an earlier statement - published in both The Straits Times and Today on April 29 - stating that “the schools that engaged Aware found that the content and messages of the sessions conducted were appropriate for their students and adhered to guidelines to respect the values of different religious groups”?

The two statements, disclosed within a short span of about one week, are contradictory.

This leads me to conclude that either MOE does not have stringent internal processes in place for selecting and monitoring vendors and vetting training materials, and hence, is totally unaware of what is taking place in schools with regard to sex education. Or, MOE is taking a liberal stand towards sex by approving Aware to conduct a sex education programme that promotes homosexual behaviour, and then assessing it only after petitioning from parents.

Given that MOE’s earlier release has given parents the wrong impression and does not reflect the true content of Aware’s sex education programme, it would be appropriate for the Ministry to give an explanation and put to rest any apprehension.

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 08-May-2009

Findings of MOE’s investigation

SEX EDUCATION PROGRAMME

Letter from Jennifer Chan

Press Secretary to Minister for Education

-----

IN RECENT weeks, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has received feedback on the Sexuality Education Programme conducted by Aware, as well as other lesson material not involving Aware. MOE has done a thorough investigation and the following are the Ministry's findings and future steps.

MOE and the schools do not promote alternative lifestyles to our students. MOE's framework for sexuality education reflects the mainstream views and values of Singapore society, where the social norm consists of the married heterosexual family unit.

Today, schools are allowed to engage external vendors to supplement MOE's sexuality education programme. MOE has reviewed the internal processes for selecting and monitoring vendors and found that they can be improved. MOE will put in more stringent processes to ensure that training materials and programmes delivered in schools are in line with the Ministry's framework on sexuality education. Schools will suspend the engagement of external vendors until the new vetting processes are completed.

The Ministry is also reviewing ways to provide parents with more information about sexuality education in the specific schools that their children are in.

MOE has examined Aware's "Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Basic Instructor Guide". The Guide contains some positive aspects, like the accurate information provided on STIs/HIV and role-play practice for students to say no to sex.

However, MOE's assessment is that in some other aspects, the Guide does not conform to MOE's guidelines. In particular, some suggested responses in the instructor guide are explicit and inappropriate, and convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of premarital sex.

In view of this, Aware's programmes in schools will be suspended and subjected to the new vetting processes.

MOE has also investigated feedback about materials used during General Paper (GP) lessons in junior colleges which carry information on alternative lifestyles. These materials and lessons did not involve Aware. GP lessons are meant to promote critical thinking and discussion on contemporary issues.

MOE investigations showed that the teachers had used these materials to initiate discussion on family structures, and not to promote alternative lifestyles.

Nevertheless, MOE will remind school leaders and teachers to exercise greater professional discretion in guiding their students when such topics are discussed. They should also adhere to social norms and values of our mainstream society.

Parents are ultimately responsible for inculcating values to their children. MOE's sexuality education programme aims to complement parents' role in helping students make informed, responsible and values-based decisions regarding sexuality.

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From TODAY, Voices – Thursday, 07-May-2009

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Aware’s, other sex-ed courses put on hold

Ong Dai Lin and Alicia Wong, dailin@mediacorp.com.sg

-----

THE schools had found the workshops appropriate and did not get any negative feedback from pupils and parents.

But now, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has suspended the sex education programme by the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) after looking at its instructors' guide.

Sex education programmes by all other external vendors have also been suspended so they can be subjected to a more stringent vetting process.

The MOE has found a need for improvement in the "internal processes" for selecting and monitoring vendors to ensure they follow its framework for sexuality programmes.

Aware's Comprehensive Sexuality Education programme did not conform "in some aspects" to these guidelines, the MOE said in a letter to the media. In particular, parts of Aware's instructors' guide "convey messages which could promote homosexuality or suggest approval of pre-marital sex".

Aware president Dana Lam told Today she is "not surprised" by the MOE's decision. "It goes to reason MOE will have to do something (given the public interest in the programme). We're also open to seeing what has to be done," said Ms Lam.

As the women's group prepares to review and modify its instructor guide if needed, it will keep the CSE's key principle of informing young people to make choices according to the values of their upbringing, Ms Lam added. "We stand by the programme. After all, we've been running it for almost two years."

In a statement yesterday, Aware said, "Like all instructor guides, ours contains far more information than is used.

"The guide includes possible responses for instructors should certain topics, such as homosexuality and premarital sex, be raised during the sessions. They're not necessarily the responses actually used, as our instructors always use language and terms appropriate to their audience."

Ms Charlotte Wong, vice-president of the ousted Aware executive committee, told Today that MOE "is doing the right thing".

"Aware keeps shouting about providing choice and empowering the youth in decision-making in their sexual life ... On the other hand, CSE does not talk about abstinence; they steer clear from abstinence as choice," said Ms Wong on a personal note. Saying that she felt a "sense of calm" after hearing the news, she added that if the CSE sticks to MOE guidelines and caters to a majority of conservative parents, "we shall be all right".

For some parents, the suspension of the CSE programme is a welcome move. Ms Geraldine Wee, a mother of a seven-year-old boy, said: "It's good that people's views are respected ... Asian parents are generally conservative."

The 29-year-old scriptwriter said: "I was an unwed mother so it's even more important for me that my child has the right values and doesn't make the same mistake."

Soon, parents will know more about the sex education programmes in their child's school. The MOE is looking at ways to provide this information — which Ms Wee welcomed because "we should have a role to decide what the child is taught".

When contacted for further queries on its letter, a MOE spokesperson told Today it has received more than 100 emails and phone calls, "many providing similar feedback".

An online petition expressing concerns about Aware's CSE programme, and supposedly to be given to MOE, is also being circulated — with 7,000 signatories so far.

The debate caused by Aware's workshops for secondary schools has even generated argument about sexuality issues being raised in General Paper (GP) classes in junior colleges.

MOE is investigating materials used during these lessons that carry information on alternative lifestyles.

Pioneer Junior College principal Tan-Kek Lee Yong, for example, told Today the school had removed a presentation slide on family and culture, which showed two females kissing, after feedback from a parent.

Mrs Tan said the context of the slide was "sociological" and "clearly academic" with "factual information next to the picture".

She added: "Such materials, which students can easily retrieve (when they do research for GP), should be contextualized within societal norms for discussion so that students receive appropriate guidance."

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From TODAY, News – Thursday, 07-May-2009

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Don’t skirt the issue by shielding children

SEX EDUCATION

Letter from Joseph Wong

DUE to the Aware saga, the topic of homosexuality has gotten the public's attention.

Having read the views of self-declared "conservative" parents who expressed concern about the openness with which this topic is being discussed — especially in schools — I think these parents need to take a step back and reconsider the big picture.

First of all, stopping a child from attending a talk on homosexuality does not protect the child.

The fact remains that homosexuality exists, whether or not you prevent your children from learning about it through sanctioned talks and discussions.

In fact, you should be thankful that your children are learning about it from experienced professionals and not from misinformed sources.

Secondly, one must learn to consider the religious views on homosexuality and understand why the stand some people take can be so uncompromising.

Thirdly, education is key. Whether this lifestyle is regarded as a choice or a condition, homosexuality is something we cannot deny as a society.

The more we understand it, the better equipped we are to make the decision that conforms to our beliefs and principles without treating the topic as taboo.

From TODAY, Voices – Wednesday, 06-May-2009

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Debate still raging in cyberspace

AWARE'S CSE PROGRAMME

Reach will send feedback to 'relevant ministries'

ESTHER NG, estherng@mediacorp.com.sg

OVER the past month, the Aware saga has spawned a fringe festival of views and petitions on various blogs and Internet discussion boards, including the Government's feedback portal.

The Reach portal has received about 50 postings about Aware's Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) programme, most of them critical.

Many of the postings take issue with statements from Aware's guide for trainers, such as "anal sex — can be healthy and neutral if practised with consent and with a condom" and "homosexuality is perfectly normal". One parent asked: "What is going on in our society? … It is so perverted. Is Singapore going down this slippery road as well?"

Another forum contributor, what_aware_show_your_kids, questioned how the Ministry of Education (MOE) could view the Aware course as "promoting pro-family values in young kids".

On April 29, the MOE said that it had not received any objections from parents about Aware's CSE programme. Many parents took issue with this statement, saying that the fact there had not been any complaints did not mean Aware's content was appropriate.

One irate parent wrote: "MOE better uphold what it preaches — that it observes and value good morals as taught by the major religions here — that homosexuality has no place in early teens' minds."

Last Friday, the MOE announced it was investigating Aware's sexuality education programme run in some schools after receiving "some" complaints from parents.

Apart from homosexuality, the manual's statement on premarital sex being "neutral" also upset some. "They encourage girls to carry condoms with them, for what? To avoid pregnancy? To avoid abortion? Or is it to encourage sex?" wrote Wrong Stuff. "In the first place, the correct approach is to avoid sex. Sex before marriage is wrong."

A few congratulated Ms Josie Lau and her team for "standing up against homosexual values". Despite the team being voted out last Saturday, they agreed that the short-lived new Aware exco had achieved its objective of highlighting issues within CSE programme.

They were interested to know "how MOE and parents can engage to develop a comprehensive sex education programme for schools which reflects the mainstream views and values of Singapore society".

So, what will Reach do with all this feedback that it has received?

Reach chairman Amy Khor told Today that when "substantial feedback is received on a particular issue, Reach will collate and send the feedback in a timely manner to the relevant ministries" to respond and for "follow-up action where they deem appropriate".

Ms Khor noted that while the posts about the Aware issue, over three separate discussion threads, were emotive, there were no racially and religiously offensive comments.

"Reach did not remove any of the Aware threads on our discussion forum. As a norm, we will only delete comments which are clearly meant to create mischief, seditious, personal attacks or attacks against a race or religion," said Dr Khor.

From TODAY, News – Tuesday, 05-May-2009

Pregnant and Unaware?

From Today, Voices
Monday, 19-January-2009

I cannot exactly put it in words, but how would you describe such plight, a woman being pregnant, and not knowing it? Even after, don't know who the father is? It is even more sad for the baby...