From The Straits Times:
By Zakir Hussain
‘So I’m a concerned citizen and if people are so ignorant, I think I want to teach them.’
SENIOR lawyer Thio Su Mien on Thursday revealed the key role she played in bringing about the change of leadership at the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware).
Appearing at a press conference called at short notice by some of the association’s new leaders, she said she was alarmed to discover that Aware had lost sight of its original purpose and become pro-lesbian and pro-homosexual.
Dr Thio, 71, a born-again Christian who runs her own law firm, is the mother of Nominated Member of Parliament Thio Li-ann and her nephew, Dr Alan Chin, is married to new Aware president Josie Lau.
She was the first woman dean of the Law Faculty at the then-University of Singapore, from 1969 to 1971.
Introducing herself as a ‘feminist mentor’ to working women, she said she began monitoring Aware’s affairs about a year ago.
Disturbed by what she saw as signs that it was promoting lesbianism and homosexuality, she began urging women she knew to challenge Aware’s attempts to redefine marriage and families.
On Thursday, the new Aware leaders said that they and their families had been threatened and even received death threats, and they have reported them to the police.
Dr Thio said: ‘I feel kind of responsible for these difficulties they are going through, because I was the one who mentored them over the years.’
She said she had been teaching and counselling some of them in different groups for up to 10 years.
She was ‘absolutely outraged’ that a group of women who just wanted to contribute to society are now facing ‘ferocious attacks’. ‘I don’t understand what has become of our people,’ she added.
Homosexual agenda?
THIO Su Mien explained that her concern about the direction that Aware was taking was partly prompted by a letter from a parent who was concerned that the society was promoting a homosexual agenda.
She wrote to the Today newspaper in 2007 to ask why Aware’s choice of a movie for a charity show was Spider Lilies, about two lesbians who fall in love.
Dr Thio said she went on to discover that in Aware’s comprehensive sexuality education programme, which is taken to schools, homosexuality is regarded as a neutral word, not a negative word.
‘I started thinking, ‘Hey, parents, you better know what’s happening,” she said.
‘I talked to parents. I said: You better do something about this, otherwise your daughter will come back and say, ‘Mum, I want to marry my girlfriend.’
‘Or your son will say: ‘Dad, I want to marry my boyfriend.”
These parents were flabbergasted, she said, adding that such sexuality education was taking place in the United States and Europe and was not new.
‘What is happening in society is that we are redefining marriage, we are redefining families,’ she said.
‘So I’m a concerned citizen and if people are so ignorant, I think I want to teach them.’
Pointing out that Aware’s programme was already in 30 schools, she said: ‘The suggestion is that in this programme, young girls from 12 to 18 are taught that it’s okay to experiment with each other.
‘And this is something which should concern parents in Singapore. Are we going to have an entire generation of lesbians?’
Insisting that she was not anti-homosexual, she said: ‘I have nothing against lesbians or homosexuals personally. On a personal front, I’ve ministered, I’ve counselled them.
‘They are in pain. And very often from families where you have abusive fathers, they do things with their daughters and the daughters revolt, rebel against society.
‘We understand this is what it’s all about.’
Dr Thio said that Aware was formed 26 years ago by her contemporaries and friends, and had done great work in many areas.
But she noted that its membership had dropped from about 700 in 1998 to around 200 in 2006.
She was dismayed that at the annual general meeting in 2008, there was a move to give men the right to vote ‘in a women’s organisation where the objective is to represent all the women of Singapore’.
Only 25 people attended that AGM. The motion was defeated, but reappeared on the agenda at the AGM last month.
She then started looking into the affairs of Aware to see what was going on at the organisation set up by her friends.
She said that there were many women’s issues that needed to be looked into, and cited the need to ensure that retrenched women are dealt with fairly.
‘I find to my dismay that Aware seems to be only very interested in lesbianism and the advancement of homosexuality, which is a man’s issue,’ she said.
She felt this matter had to be discussed, but Aware should focus on going back to look after all women in Singapore.
‘Can we re-focus on the excellent objectives of Aware? Go back to its original purpose for it being an NGO?’ she asked.
——
From Today:
Membership shoots up:
Aware’s membership numbers have swelled so much in the run-up to its extraordinary general meeting on May 2 that the women’s advocacy group has to find a new venue to hold it.
“As of Wednesday, our membership has gone up to 880 (and) the place we have booked doesn’t seem big enough,” said honorary treasurer Maureen Ong.
Aware membership stood at 400 last week.
The meeting, which is supposed to address the rift between the old guard and the new leadership, will nevertheless go ahead as scheduled, she confirmed. Plans are under way to look for an alternative venue.
Read also:
Locks changed, Aware centre manager fired
—–
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So what’s stopping her from erasing the separation of the Church and the State?
What’s stopping her from erasing the separation of the Church and the State?
Interestingly, this brings us back to the heated argument of 377A.
I am quite amused at the spate of events i must say.
You cannot deny these ladies some of them are older and more conservative.
My question however to anyone who reads this is, where will be your stand when you have your own kids and because of this exposure they want to be homosexual.
I believe in the freedom of rights and for people to choose ultimately what they want. But this freedom of choice has to come with responsibility and maturity. Are adolescent youth ready to make the choices of their sexuality at such a young age? Are they sure of their choices at such a young age or are they led into it whether through extenuating circumstances such as abuse in their famliy or failed relationships.
I believe even the people who are homosexual who read this cannot deny that the natural order of things in this world is man and woman hence procreation.
I feel that it is okay for the homoseuxals to propagate their agenda, but then again i strongly advocate that our society also needs to see the other side of the coin, and that natural ordered family nucleuses are the building blocks of our society. (we cannot afford anymore baby deficits as well).
Should we be all inclusive and accepting and tolerating? Yes we should always be. But safeguards are always necessary especially for adolescents who have yet to reached the adequate maturity to make a SOUND and INFORMED choice.
Can we blame Thio Su Mein for standing by her beliefs and how she views our society? The methods might be questionable but i for one never doubt the intention – Healthy Family Nucleus as the backbone of our Society.
JM2C (:
I don’t know how anyone can take these people seriously anymore. They have completely and utterly lost the plot:
http://www.glass-castle.org/blog/2009/04/tale-of-two-events-how-they-have.html
Jolene
So the monkey tails are finally out…..this just confirms that they are trying to impose their religious beliefs on the organisation.
Scheming and cunning people they are indeed.
I think it’s time for the old guards to band together and speak as a group as previous excos in light of the allegations heaped on to them by the new excos and their so called “feminist mentor”.
It’s also time for other organisations and people who have worked with and helped on by AWARE to speak up for them.
This kind of smear campaign cannot be allowed. I sincerely hope the old guards will speak for themselves and others who had put in much effort in building AWARE.
To have a bunch of outsiders rip out your work, take over your group and throw thrash in your face is surely, unbearable.
The article in the Straits Times today eludicates the ignorance of Dr Thio with regards to sexuality. I quote: ‘ Are we going to have an entire generation of lesbians?’ Clearly, she believes that events that support gay women propagate homosexuality, which is hardly the case if one is heterosexual. Unless Dr Thio is uncertain about her heterosexuality.
Another point to note about ST’s article which highlighted seven pro-gay events might cause the average ST reader to employ the availability heuristic, inferring that seven pro-gay programmes might be too many for a secular and neutral organization. This is bearing in mind the absence of a clear timeline and information of many other ‘non-queer’ events that AWARE has been helming.
Finally, I’ll like to add that by launching an offensive on other women, these new committee members have excluded those they supposedly seek to help, marginalized women with a diversity of experience and undermining the idea of a pluralistic and tolerant Singapore.
Read in TODAY that death threat received by ExCo member. Check it out at
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/315756.asp
The police is now involved , is now involved. Those who are making baseless attacks on the new Exco especially on religion better think again and be prepared to be questioned
To socrates on April 24th, 2009 8.36 am
Stop trying to intimidate people using police by posting these links and telling people to be careful and try to silence them.
I think the high rise in membership could be due to the mega churches supporting the new Aware committee. Looks like old Aware committee needs to set up its own NGO association now. Looks like a lost cause to me.
Also, is there any clause in the Registrar of Societies that can take the New Aware Committee to task for engineering a coup and for creating a false alarm that the Old Aware was pro-gay-lesbian. Its all heresay & lots of mouthwashing from the New Aware Committee that the Old Aware has been hijacked by the pro-gay-lesbian. The New Aware Committee is clearly in line with their fundamental religious beliefs & if proof is given that it is aligned with their church’s teachings word for word, then can it be solid proof that New Aware is using an NGO to propagate religious beliefs?
Any lawyers here?
These New Aware ppl is quite despicable to use their innocent children and fear from parents as shields to advance their divisive and fundamentalist christianity views!! Do your children have a brain of their own??? They can’t tell right fr wrong!!? Tat says much abt their parents incompetence then!
Hurray for hypocrisy!
‘I find to my dismay that Aware seems to be only very interested in lesbianism and the advancement of homosexuality, which is a man’s issue,’ she said.
Because Lesbians sure AREN’T women…
Just wondering…
Did Prof Thio join Aware at any point in time over the past 26 years which was started by her “contemporaries and friends” to contribute her views and work towards Aware’s “excellent” objectives?
Why has there been a need for subterfuge and stormtrooper tactics?
Could it be that she realises her views on the role of women are too hardline and extreme for even her “contemporaries and friends” to accept?
And it is scary how out-of-touch-with-reality she (and some others) seem when they label Aware as exclusively pro-homosexuality. Do they know ANYTHING about the organisation they took over? Have they been to ANY event or been involved in ANY of the many talks organised by Aware?
I certainly hope she makes better arguments defending her clients in court than defending her views and the new exco. But sometimes, it’s difficult to defend the indefensible.
(btw, I feel really bad for sounding like a partisan. I make a conscious effort to be objective and understand their point of view and sympathise with them as fellow humans but they’re really making it very, very hard).
I cannot trust people who lied on national tv to head a NGO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjUgzMaN6cY
3 min 35 second to 3rd min 50 second of the video
can’t they just set up BEWARE if AWARE is a lost case?
#6 Speed Weed.
Yah I fully agree! they were lying through their teeth in front of national TV saying they didn’t know each other! But they go to the same church, been Aware members for some time and they are related to Thio Sun Mien! Come on!!! You really think Singaporeans are so dumb and its actually an insult!
It is disappointing to note that the new exco’s news conference did not offer any new ideas of how to bring AWARE forward but instead focused on the pro-gay activities of the old guard. So what the newspapers have been focusing on for the past 2 weeks has been right. The new exco has always been about an agenda to push back the pro-gay movement, except that it took more than 2 weeks to drag this out of the new exco.
The old guard will now have to respond to the pro-gay allegations put forth by the new exco but at least we are now going to have a debate about the issues, something which the new exco has been avoiding up till now. Unfortunately, I am not sure how much the average woman in Singapore is interested about pro or anti-gay issues, since gays only represent a very small % of the women here.
I really can’t stand this new exco, really k- poh chi. That means they already monitor AWARE since a year ago. Looks like Pap style.
I may disagree with their views on Aware promoting homosexuality as well as the issue of homosexuality itself, and I am a Christian.
But I certainly can applaud their willingness to step forward to pay the price in order to fight for what they believed in, which is certainly something that many apathetic Singaporeans, including myself, can learn from.
I don’t really get it when people jump up and down over Thio Su Mien’s stand that AWARE was moving towards pro-gay & pro-lesbian.
Ok, you can call it by different terms e.g. inclusive, non-discrimination, tolerance. But the result is the same. Becoming pro-gay & pro-lesbian.
No wonder gay & lesbian activists are going all out to try to bring back the old guards.
Even before Thio Su Mien’s comments, it was already apparent to me (and I’m sure a lot of other casual observers) that AWARE was becoming pro-gay & pro-lesbian.
So the old guards have a lot to explain and clarify. But it’s not possible for them to deny the facts. Rather they have to convince members that it’s ok for AWARE to be pro-gay & pro-lesbian. So that’s how the voting should be based one.
“Dr Thio said: ‘I feel kind of responsible for these difficulties they are going through, because I was the one who mentored them over the years.’ “she said she began monitoring Aware’s affairs about a year ago”
The above is proof that the new exco members are all related or affilated in some ways and their takeover was a planned coup.
“Asked if their takeover was a planned coup, Ms Lau said: ‘No.’ She and Ms Ong claimed they had only just got to know each other”
Whose words do you trust – Ms Lau and Ms Ong, or Dr Thio? Or none?
And so much for lawyers who are good at finding the loopholes of legal law (I laugh).
The biggest loophole is glaring at us.
IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO LIE ON NATIONAL TV.
If the sex education programme is brought into schools, it should come under the purview of the Ministry of Education. Did Ms Thio take the matter up with the Ministry? If so, what was the outcome?
It is arrogant and ignorant, both at once, to say that people need to be educated by her. People can read, and comprehend. She should not try to impose her ideologies on others under the guise of civic duty.
‘And this is something which should concern parents in Singapore. Are we going to have an entire generation of lesbians?’
Wow, if lesbians are so powerful in converting women to like them, I also want whatever they are drinking. Cos me is scoring very low on the attracting women area.
Fearmongering at it’s worst.
#2 Socrates has been posting this silly post on various threads.
It’s ironic, isn’t it? Using the name of Socrates who believed in reason, and committed suicide rather than succumb to fanatics?
Anyway, Socrates (sic) how about those who make false claims against the old AWARE, try to shove their religious agenda down our collective throats, disobey the legitimate instructions of their employer, lie on national TV?
#12 Zefly :-)
That’s hilarious, Count me in too!
The queerest part of Thio Su-Mien’s interview is this priceless nugget: “Aware seems to be only very interested in lesbianism and the advancement of homosexuality, which is a man’s issue“.
This boggles the mind. How is ‘lesbianism’ a ‘man’s issue’, and how is ‘the advancement of homosexuality’ (if that could indeed be imputed to AWARE) any more or less a ‘man’s issue’ than a woman’s issue?
#9) observ on April 24th, 2009 9.54 am
Ah, we now see the tactic of trying to bring the argument back to pro-gay / antigay.
“I don’t really get it when people jump up and down over Thio Su Mien’s stand that AWARE was moving towards pro-gay & pro-lesbian.
Ok, you can call it by different terms e.g. inclusive, non-discrimination, tolerance. But the result is the same. Becoming pro-gay & pro-lesbian.”
Sorry, observ, but your pants are on fire.
“No wonder gay & lesbian activists are going all out to try to bring back the old guards.”
Wrong again, baby, its everyone who has a conscience and a brain and who cares enough for the society in which we live in. And I really don’t care too much about AWARE. But I think its important that fundamentalists have no place in our society, much less in a civic organisation.
“Even before Thio Su Mien’s comments, it was already apparent to me (and I’m sure a lot of other casual observers) that AWARE was becoming pro-gay & pro-lesbian.”
Ha. Lies upon lies. It is equally clear to me and a lot of other casual observers that the new Exco is a bunch of fanatics. Distractionary tactics now, eh?
“So the old guards have a lot to explain and clarify. But it’s not possible for them to deny the facts. Rather they have to convince members that it’s ok for AWARE to be pro-gay & pro-lesbian. So that’s how the voting should be based one.”
Solly, wong numba. It is the new exco that has to explain why they lied. Why they conducted a slient campaign to take over AWARE.
The stakes are high for Singaporeans. Today, they take over AWARE, what next?,Tomorrow it could be your en-bloc sales committee.
all of you seem against the new committee because they are chrisitans, fundamentalist, they staged a coup, or you feel they are going shove some straws up your nose? Anything wrong with them except the last one?
I feel all of you are losers too and you speak like losers. I remember the PAD, the elitists who lost to Thaksin, they are the same, losers , not happy of being defeated at the poll. Same with old women who lost and now lobbying sympathisers , gays,lesbians, potential gays and lesbians and partners of gays and lesbians and new converts.If successful, the old women and these people will pose a formidable force at the EOGM, sure to topple the new committee.
The best team wins
It is very simple!
Thio Su Mien now admits that she mentor the coup. However, days ago, Josie and Maureen and gang denied that they know each other.
Conclusion: They are liars!
Dear JM2C and OBSERV
Firstly how PRO GAY was AWARE apart from Sect 377A ? What is the list of their supposed pro gay activities.
1. One Movie. Fine where was Darth Thio and her stormtroopers when Brokeback Mountain was showing in Singapore ?
2. Sex Education. AWARE has always like feminist advocated Pro Choice , and Pro Condom use and informing teenagers about homosexuality without making moral judgements. Is that being Pro Gay ? The fact that you tell kids what is out there without making the moral judgements of right or wrong , is it Pro Gay ?
\
3. And notice Maureen was against any form of sex education full stop, including abortion contraception, as her religious and intellectual roots are with the abstinence crowd.
4. Half of letters and issues championed by AWARE under the old guard was on abortion, teenage sex, and foreign workers. How Pro Gay is it or Gay Friendly ?
5. Thio Su Mien is a lawyer the Law Society supported 377A why doesn’t darth Thio go and take over the Law Society and refocus its values ? Errrr afraid of the ISD ?
6. Maureen Sweet old dear old foot in her mouth Maureen spoke of the need to lobby against Syriah law before changing her comments ? Another slip of the tongue ? Come on one and all Xtian fundie speak against Muslims has been well documented in the US. But Maureen in charge of Aware letting it shoot ?
Locke
#18) Kelvin Tan on April 24th, 2009 9.26 am
“I may disagree with their views on Aware promoting homosexuality as well as the issue of homosexuality itself, and I am a Christian.
But I certainly can applaud their willingness to step forward to pay the price in order to fight for what they believed in, which is certainly something that many apathetic Singaporeans, including myself, can learn from.”
Kelvin, yes, their will to struggle for what they want and believe in is admirable. This will has been seen throughout history in luminaries such as Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot etc. We have also seen terrorists willing to die for their cause. But imho, the words “misplaced” and “misguided” are really good nouns to use here. It’s not the will that is relevant here, its the cause they are fighting for, that really scares me.
And I don’t knew they expected this reaction. Tactically, they fumbled all the way, from the clumsiness of the takeover, to the first interview and to Thio Su Mien’s coming out of the closet. They probably didn’t expect the ST to play this up. Even their internet campaign is losing steam as they run out of card to play. Up to now, they are still trying to bring up the “progay-antigay” BS which is a big smelly bright red herring. They are now relying on sheer doggedness and the rallying of the faithful to win the day. Scary thing is, they might.
(almost) full transcript of the press con at the link above.
An open letter to Dr Thio from me-
Dear Dr Thio,
After reading the reasons you gave for doing what you did, I came to conclusion that I was wrong. I was wrong to join in the chorus of voices that derided you for what you did when you clearly had everyone’s best interest in mind. After all, isn’t it the salvation of souls that you are most concerned about? I fail to understand why people are always barking for you head when you are merely doing a good thing. Damn those freedom-loving immoral hippies. Don’t they know they are going to burn in hell? Don’t those fags and dykes know that you are doing it for their own good? Do they really want to burn in hell?
I commend you on your ability to mobilize people so easily and quickly, and for that brilliant coup de’tat in seizing control of that foundry of filth masquerading as a women’s rights group. It is something that many non-profit organizations have tried but failed to do – getting a huge number of people to act fast and decisively. I’m sure many of those voices shouting out against you and your crusaders are just jealous. And we all know what the book says about envy. But let’s forgive them for they know not what they do.
There is so much more that needs to be done. The job of saving souls is a thankless eternal chore. While we’re at it, let’s look at which other souls we can save.
Howabout those corporate big-wigs whose souls are corrupted by greed? What shall we do to rescue them? Should we mobilize your vast resources and get your flock to speak out against them? I know some of your people hold key positions in banks as well, but I’m pretty sure that all those recent mini-bond fiascos had got nothing to do with them because everything was done legally. If it’s legal, it must be right. We are talking about the other big wigs of course. You know, those AIG people… I’m sure someone in your vast network must know some of them, and you could get them to counsel them about the destructiveness of greed and save them from eternal damnation.
While we’re at it, why not the souls of nasty employers of foreign workers? We all know what the book says about slavery. You could get your people to petition the government. With our convictions and your leadership, I’m sure our voices will be heard. Think about it. The more we make it mandatory in law that the basic rights and living standards of our foreign brothers are taken care of, the less likely employers will be tempted to sin, and burn in hell forever. And while we’re at it, many NGOs would be happy to receive cheques of donation from your flock. We are all inclusive and non-discriminatory and will not reject cheques based on religious beliefs.
It is unfortunate that your niece-in-law’s attempt to consolidate has not gone down well. Perhaps it is time to diversify.
Yours,
A fellow crusader.
Thio Su Mien stated: “So I’m a concerned citizen and if people are so ignorant, I think I want to teach them.’”
Are we so ignorant, look at the contributions here in the forum, What can she teach us? BIRDS of the same feather flock together as seem to me.
Definitely Thio Su Mien, how do you intend to teach us?
What exactly does this woman want to teach us?
What is it that we are ignorant about?
Josie and Maureen claimed they don’t know each other until the election. The new exco team claimed that their religious belief is their personal belief and nothing to do with their joining/taking over AWARE. Well, look at the emails below and judge for yourselves.
* * *
From: smthio@xxxxxxx.sg
To: stjh21@xxxxxx.sg, Undisclosed-Recipient:
Subject: Re Aware
Attachments AWARE_membership_mail-in_application_form.pdf concerned parents.1.do
PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL
Dear All
Please see Attachments on some recent developments in Aware. Aware is a woman’s organization which conducts comprehensive sexual programmes for girls and it runs this programme in some of the schools. They encourage girls to express their full sexuality and this includes experimenting with other girls. It would be a good idea to join it and change its focus to other problems of women and families.
..Please ask your like-minded friends to join Aware so that you can give the vote to those who wish to be an agent of change for the Lord. They could also contribute to the activities of the oprganization as there is much to be done for women and families in this dowturn of the economy. Unfortunately, I cannot surface but shall be assisting in the background . I attach the Aware membership application form for your use. The Aware application form has a section as to who ( if any) told you about Aware. You can just leave it blank . Please let me know whether you can join and attend the AGM which will be towards the end of March 2009. The fee is $40/ and should be mailed to the Aware Office ( see application form).
Look forward to hearing from you. Please call me. May I have your phone no?
Blessings,
Su Mein
From: lynkl@xxxxxx
To: leonglh@xxxxxx, siowkee16@xxxxxx.sg, shari200@xxxxxx.sg., aikhoons@xxxxx.sg, siuyoong@xxxxx.com, sulilee8@xxxx.com, jesgbf@xxxxx.com, eschan@xxxxx.sg
Subject: Fw: Re Aware
Attachments AWARE_membership_mail-in_application_form.pdf McFarlane v. homosex therapy.htm selected articles (1).pdf
Dear beloved Sis In Christ,
Would like to ask you and your like-minded friends who are believers to join as members of AWARE to cast votes and be a change agent for the Lord in some of the recent issues happen in this organization that is not according to the Lord’s principles………..
Please pray for Lord’s wisdom to pass on this important message as it is confidential……
Thank you.
Lynn.
12/2/09
From: Mervyn xxx
Sent: Sat 4/18/2009 11:59 PM
To: xxxx Xian Jin; FOONG Tai Wei; Adora TAN Su Yan; Eugene TAN Jia Rong; ZHOU Siming
Subject: RE: AWARE – Your Action Needed
Acknowledged. We (Eugene and I) had quite a bit of talk on this issue over dinner today.
Right now we should pray for the COOS members who are being put through scrutiny and invasion of their private lives by the media. Pray that God’s Word will prevail over the values of the world. Homosexuality isn’t God’s design and we pray that those who stand up against it and are discriminated will be delivered.
Praise God for COOS’ stand and He who aids us as we stand firmly upon His Word.
- Merv
Lotsa lessons to learn about how we Christians engage the world and secularism.
From: xxxx Xian Jin
Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 11:37 PM
To: FOONG Tai Wei; Adora TAN Su Yan; Mervyn LEE xxx xxx; Eugene TAN Jia Rong; ZHOU Siming
Subject: FW: AWARE – Your Action Needed
Dear friends,
Thanks Tai Wei and Adora for taking an interest in the Aware Elections and how Church of Our Saviour has been embroiled in the controversy in the papers today. The media seems to have taken a strong stance against my church and this email is to update you all on the church’s position, which the senior pastor has kept mum about, but we would be expecting his comments in church tomorrow.
Below is an email sent out by a church staff to members of the church on the need for Christians to rise up and how they can be involved in this issue. Meanwhile, please pray for the church for it could be difficult time for members who are in the spotlight and the church could also be facing some brickbats along the way. Pray for God’s protection and wisdom to see us through.
DG, keeping you in the loop.
Xian Jin
——— Forwarded message ———-
From: Shawn xxx
Date: Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Subject: AWARE – Your Action Needed
To:
Dear Friend,
Our nation needs your support and action very urgently!
AWARE is an organization that has existed in Singapore for many years.
It is a non-profit body dedicated to women’s advocacy and gender equality.
They protect women’s rights and help develop women to their fullest potential.
In the last few years, AWARE has aggressively become involved in gay
activism. Many members of their committee are pro-gay. They have even
conducted a sexual education programme in some schools that teach
young people that it is normal and alright to behave homosexually. They
have also screened a lesbian-themed movie Spider Lilies at a Charity Ball.
During this week, AWARE held an election of office bearers. This event saw
many of the pro-gay old guards losing their positions in the committee to new
faces. These new people do not share the values of the pro-gay old guards
and has caused much shock and rage to the latter group.
The pro-gay old guards are retaliating by calling for an Extraordinary General
Meeting where they intend to amend the Constitution to only allow members
who have been with AWARE for more than 2 years, to vote. If this change is
passed, then only the pro-gay old guards and their cohorts will have the
power to do what they want.
To prevent this from happening, we are calling on all responsible females
to sign up for membership with AWARE immediately, and also to attend this
all-important EGM so as to vote against changing the Constitution.
If you are male and have received this petition, please pass it to as many
responsible females as you know and encourage them to sign up for
membership with AWARE so as to vote against any changes to their
Constitution.
The date for the EGM has yet to be announced but it should be soon.
Membership fees are $40 for adult females and $5 for female fulltime students below
the age of 25. Please print the attached softcopy of the membership form,
fill in the details (no need to tell who referred you), mail the form with your cheque.
Singapore is counting on you. Please respond.
You are made for such a time as this!
Pro-Family,
Shawn
________________________________
From: Linda xxx
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2009 2:21 PM
To: COOS English Church Staff – DL; Derek xxx
Subject: FW: Ps 68:11
Dear Pastor Derek,
The number of members registered on Tuesday night is 13 out of 40 who turned up.
One thing I forgot to mention this morning was the film show Spider Lilies (selected articles attached above)
The school children were told that lesbian lifestyle is okay.
Linda
Zefly (aka Joshua Chiang) ,
It is very unfortunate that you have played into the hands of these old maid and you now turn against the people who are trying to protect your family from those outlandish values that are insidiously creeping into your home and all the homes. You have mistakenly and misunderstood their intention and you are being swayed by the false labeling of funadamentalism.
You remember the report in the NEW Paper about two men being caught for having sex in a public place, a lift. If you were living there and your children happened to be there and saw everything. How would you explain to them. Do you tell them it is fashionable, a fad, the cool thing thing to do these days and it is alright even if they want. I bet you will be fuming in rage.This is not something to be done in public even you condone their lifestyle.
Now get this straight, THEY ARE NOT AGAINST GAYS AND LESBIANS.The new AWARE is against their lifestyle and worse openly living out their lifestyle, in staircases, lifts, in MRT, in buses and public places disregarding other people and children. If they do in their bed room , no body cares. Even , normal people don’t have sex in public places except for some crazy teenagers.
You think that staging a coup is wrong, this is disputable. Which takeover is NOT staged. It is months of planning, from logistics to people to timing. I can’t understand why you guys take issue with this. It is not any different from any corporate take over.There is a strategist or mentor behind the take over and the tacticians just followed the plan.
To say the new AWARE will be used as plateform to further fundamentalism, i don’t know what to say about you. You are naive. It is all speculation and accusations at best. Give them a chance.
If you suspect them as rumoured,why not throw your support behind the old women and cast your vote to restore the old club. I assure you there will be a lot of gays and lesbians, pick and choose, they will turn up in droves to protect their benefactors.
You are barking up the wrong tree. You distract from the issue and stray into other areas cynically.
I am also a crusader but on the other side.
To 25) la nausée on April 24th, 2009 1.00 pm
“The queerest part of Thio Su-Mien’s interview is this priceless nugget: “Aware seems to be only very interested in lesbianism and the advancement of homosexuality, which is a man’s issue“.
This boggles the mind. How is ‘lesbianism’ a ‘man’s issue’, and how is ‘the advancement of homosexuality’ (if that could indeed be imputed to AWARE) any more or less a ‘man’s issue’ than a woman’s issue?”
That’s because she think homosexuality refers to gay men only.
My my…PhD in Law, once dean of Law Faculty. Talk about being ignorant. If people are so ignorant, I think I want to teach them the right understanding of words. Homosexuality covers both men and women Dr Thio!
Peace,
And peace on you too brother. You need some loving. Hugs.
#33 Peace,
If my children were to see 2 men having sex in public and they asked me about it, I will tell them that according to my personal values, it is not correct and is against the natural scheme of things and that it should be strongly discouraged. There is no need for the new EXCO to take over AWARE and drive this crusade.
You mentioned the following to Joshua: “To say the new AWARE will be used as plateform to further fundamentalism, i don’t know what to say about you. You are naive. It is all speculation and accusations at best.”
The problem with the new exco is that everything they have displayed about themselves has been about anti-gay conservatism and nothing much else. So how do you convince 3rd parties that the new exco is about anything more than anti-gay conservatism?
You also justify the takeover by saying “Which takeover is NOT staged. It is months of planning, from logistics to people to timing.”
The problem is that Josie previously went on national television and said that the takeover was NOT staged. So her integrity, and that of the new exco is in serious doubt. And with your integrity compromised, how is any reasonable person expected to trust anything that comes out from their mouth now?
enough of this. i’m talking about you liberals. it’s time to stop complaining and whining of disprate online blogs and forums and ACTUALLY MOBILIZE, DO SOMETHING. show the bigots we are greater in number and they are a dying breed. If we could band together and rise up with commitment and passion for our ideals of an open society, the kind of “mobilization” that churches like COOS can muster would look pathetic in comparison.
let’s take over one of their churches or societies.
This ongoing fundies taking over AWARE saga is really a blessing in disguise. We will see more liberals and fair minded people speaking out and doing somethings. Even if taking over one of their churches is not accomplished at the moment, I believed many people will be galvanised and this bode well for the future.
Cowboy,
There’s no such thing as liberal or conservatives. There’s only people that play fair, and people that don’t. Don’t become a monster so the monster will not take you.
Peace (#34), pardon my bluntness, but you’re being daft, on several levels. First, quite a number of people would find any kind of open-air copulation offensive , regardless</I. of whether it’s homosexual, heterosexual, or some other kind of sex. It’s not MSM or FSF that raises special concern here. Second, there is absolutely no evidence that homosexual sex is more likely to take place in the public as compared to heterosexual sex. Third, nobody in this debate (whether the Old Guard or New Guard at AWARE) is advocating sex in public places; it’s not as if AWARE has been a champion for nudism and exhibitionism these past few years.
Zefly, I admire your principles and I would dearly like to have stuck by them – but the reality is when people do not play fair, you’re not going to win by playing fair. When even self-proclaimed Christians could turn their backs on the morals and ideals of their religion and somehow interpret the religious teachings as calling for a hostile personal crusade, you know the world has gone to hell.
I’m not going to ask where the outrage is. There is plenty, alright. It’s just not producing any results other than pages and pages of online comments.
‘So I’m a concerned citizen and if people are so ignorant, I think I want to teach them.’
That statement offends me, as I believe it offends a majority of us. It is a major slight to the population and the intelligence of Singaporeans to suggest that we are ‘ignorant’ and need teaching.
“I’m not going to ask where the outrage is. There is plenty, alright. It’s just not producing any results other than pages and pages of online comments.”
You think? AWARE now has 800 members. Previously it had only 200. (well of course we can’t discount that not all will vote for the old guard)
And germami has been convinced of the immorality of the new group’s action. I’m hopeful he’d have passed the new we-are-aware-org website to his friends to get them to join.
That’s the power of a rational ethical approach.
#20, Orchid,
hope you are not a spider liliy in disguise. Your interest in seeing the old women restored is unfliching. Hope it is not because of the removal of your benefactor that motivates you to be vocal and fervent in your outcry .Lesbainism is an illness and the only solultion is to seek a cure and not temporary cure which calls for yielding and gratification of your body.
#31, T
no idea where you got these confidential emails. Have you got hold of the old guards email as well and share with us maybe lurid conspiracy to topple the the new committee
Do these email prove anything, insidious or sinister?
They only lobbyied for support, right? . It is a campaign for support, anyhting wrong?. This is not unusual, it is the work before a launch of anyhting. This proves you are more despicable than the new AWARE by divulging confidentail correspondence. You can be a potential defendant, do you know?
Cowboy, you can ride into any church to take over. There is nothing to stop you so long it is not violent, disrupting, damaging to properties. Trespassing can be waived for you. You are welcome to do so
Zefly,
It is not certain who is accounting for the sharp increase in numbers. Are they for the new exco or against the new exco? No one knows.
It does not really matter even if the old guard loses the EOGM, since they can always form a new society and carry on with their original aims if they are dedicated enough. The EOGM is simply a numbers game and the eventual winner may not win through the superiority of their arguments, but through their numbers. But that’s democracy for you. What is most important is that the issues are debated at the EOGM and the members can decide for themselves which side to vote for, based on the strength of their arguments.
For one, I don’t see much the fundies have gained by taking over AWARE to advance their agenda part from the tangible resources. They have fired on the old guards who are the one with the networks which represents what they stand for. Will the UN be willing to work with the new AWARE’s group? It is only good for creating some confusion besides some tangible resources gain. Apart from that, all intangibles are gone with the old guards. Thio is really so naive to think that a group’s name and hard assets represent an ideology? They might as well set up their own group to advance their agenda.