From Glass Castle:
At the end of March, AWARE held an AGM attended by a large bloc of new members, many of whom had not previously been especially active in the organisation (according to the Straits Times, a large majority of them had only joined the organisation in the preceding 3 months).
They proceeded to elect a new executive committee dominated by anti-gay activists. The new President (who has since, bizarrely, resigned), Claire Nazar, has publicly said that in her interpretation of her religion, Christianity, homosexuality is an ‘abomination’ and ‘the [result] of sin and flouting of God’s moral order’. The new honorary secretary, Jenica Chua, has previously criticised NMP Siew Kum Hong for his support for the legalisation of gay sex by referring to ‘the homosexual agenda’ and ‘the homosexual interest group’, language which originates from Christian fundamentalist movements in America.
Their supporters at the meeting included more individuals with clear connections to anti-gay Christian fundamentalist activism. Among these was Angela Thiang, who works in a company headed by infamous anti-gay Christian NMP Thio Li Ann [Edited to Add on 14 April: this was an error in the original article; in fact the company is headed by Thio's mother, Thio Su Mien: on which see here], and who has publicly spoken in favour of Section 377A and in opposition to abortion rights. There was also Dr Alan Chin, who has used the language of American Christian fundamentalists by referring disapprovingly to ‘the gay lifestyle’.
Many of the members who voted for this new executive committee had only joined recently and were not well-known to active existing members of AWARE – suggesting that they were a new faction, rather than representing and reflecting the existing values of the group. In other words, the organisation appears to now be run not by secular feminists but by sectarian fundamentalists. It is likely that they will use it to push through a new agenda, promoting visions of gender, sexuality and women’s rights which are contrary to what AWARE previously stood for.
This has severe implications for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, and civic society at large. Even if you consider yourself wholly indifferent to feminism or LGBTQ rights, please sit up and pay attention. They could come for you next.
Read the rest of the article here.
Read also: From now on, be wary of AWARE by Alex Au.
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i never predicted that the religious fanatics will seek power. I thought all they want is money and control over their clueless followers, but now i am mulling the possibility of a Christian theocracy ruling a post-PAP singapore, just like the novel A Handmaid’s Tale.
Think… they already have hordes of young people at their command – people who will act out whatever these extremist pastors want. It will not be pleasant. They will be more authoritarian than the PAP, and will even seek war with our neighbours. Singapore cannot be ruled by a theocracy!
WTF? This is too much…
What the fish? This is too much! What’s next? The religious fanatics going to persecute the rest of the non-believers?
WTF? One more reason to run away from this country for me.
Me thinks gays are creating the bogey man to scare non-gays into supporting their cause. My point to gays is that you are crying wolf one time too many.
So what is stopping gays from standing for elections in NGOs to exert your influence? Come off your whining now. Let’s see you walk the talk. Get elected into excos of NGOs and prove that you can do better than the christians instead of bawl, bawl, bawl.
This is what I think of gays’ reaction to the whole episode.
http://wherebearsroamfree.blogspot.com/2009/04/oh-boy-gays-are-howling-again.html
The gays should be just that, happy.
Whatever you do behind close doors don’t announce it to the world like the Europeans, Americans and is typical of the ang mors.
The West should not preach human rights, gay rights, animal rights, democracy. etc etc. to the rest of the world and then cheat the non-Western world by selling them toxic “investments”
Just return us our hard-earned money. Leave your ‘whatever’-rights thing at home
Everything the new members did followed the rules of the organization.
You were warned over advocating for Section 377A Repeal.
Now you reap what you sow.
Heard of “backlash”?
Boo hoo. Cry me a river.
I am not aware of the previous AWARE .They didn’t do much did they?
Let the new committee have a chance.
Me thinks the main article is biased and full of hullabaloo!
Quote-
“Claire Nazar, has publicly said that in her interpretation of her religion, Christianity, homosexuality is an ‘abomination’ and ‘the [result] of sin and flouting of God’s moral order’”
Imagine if i embraced an existing religion where monotheism is an abomination and homosexuality is an encouraged act and this religion of mine happens to command 33% of the world population?
How fundamental is your fundamentalism?
#7,
Repealing 377A reduces legal duplication and ensures our public space remains secular.
What is AWARE ? If they are unknown to anyone , then the previous people running the show deserves to go.
So far if you were to do a straw poll, you will probably get a blank stare.
Singaporeans are scared stiff already – after years of being treated like small kids vis a vis the establishment.
I say horray to the new committment as they have the courage and conviction to takeover? would you or Alex Au or proxy dare to ? and then set your own agenda and ACT on it?
Do you guys dare to fight ? or are you guys just a product of the system and only know how to complain and complain – prehaps not for long – the CHINESE are here and my hats to them for the toughnes they have and quite like my retiring generation who sacrificed much to bring you guys to your present day smug and armchair critic mentality.
The article is no different from a sour grape and full of hubris,
Draw your battle lines if you dare to or else you will be complaining again and again while the CHINESE citizens and others like the new AWARE move up to tell you what to do.
It is not uncommon that God’s name is used in vain to persecute fellow human beings.
Saying that gays are complaining when Christians are going out of their way to make life difficult for gays is like saying that its okay to be robbed.
I followed this with quite a bit of interest and must say that this article has quite alot of conjecture and honestly, has a large taste of bitterness.
From what I garner, they won it constitutionally, and played by the rules, although indeed they did not follow the normal expectation to work within before gaining a position. The old guard lost fair and square.
Give them a chance to see what they can do. You make them out to be fundamentalist christians hell-bent on driving out gays. It could always be a case where they identify with aware and want to improve it, albeit from another perspective.
And even if they are, they are only elected for one year, and if AWARE is any good organisation at all it will survive one year of turbulence and this commitee will get elected out.
#13 is spot on, esp abt the bitterness.
I support the abolition of 377A but I hate the demonising of Christians who oppose it,
Watch and wait.
TOC – thanks for linking this.
There is an error in the section you have quoted, though: Angela Thiang works for a company headed not by Thio Li Ann but Thio Su Mien, her mother. I have edited the original article now to address the mistake and would be grateful if you could update this page accordingly.
Thanks.
Jolene (Glass Castle)
The older leaders can ask their members to resign from the association and start a new one.
#11, Retiree,
You sound like a loose cannon! Don’t shoot arrows all over the place. What is your point?
Hi Jolene,
Thanks for the correction. We’ve made the necessary changes… ;)
I think best to exit gracefully..and keep religion and this gay thing out of it.
Let us give them a chance and see what they can…this is the only decent and democratic thing to do!
Please refer to Balji’s article page 3 of TODAY dated Monday 13 April 2009…or goto
http://www.todayonline.com/pdf_main.asp?pubdate=20090413.
Thanks for the article – confirmed my suspicion. When the news came out in the papers, my first impression was – oh, oh, the fundies have hijacked AWARE…
Organization is made up of people, therefore people is important. The integrity of the people is important. The people who are entrusted by AWARE to carry out all their services should be those whom the public could look up to and dignify with.
Personally, I would like to welcome the new members, encourage them to do some housekeeping and build a better AWARE.
Whoever takes over or take charge, we only wish that this organization is really helping the women. Not just to deliver some big polished noble topics on surface while down at personal level, are doing things to bully women.
Taking 2 of the most advocated topics for hypothetical purpose, to elaborate why integrity of the people is so crucial.
(1) HIV & STD PRECAUTIONS
Does the personal lives and behavior of the trainer, member or representative of an organization that propagate on precautions of sexual transmitted diseases a crucial factor? In order not to contradict the organization curriculum, does organization select and ensure that all their representatives are free from personal behaviors that contradict the organization’s mission?
If a trainer, member or representative from such organization in her personal lives, is indulging in casual sex and casual relationships, can she goes to schools or any public-held talks & seminars to advise people on prevention of HIV & STD? Can she says that man & woman is free to indulge in casual sex so long as a simple protection like a condoms is used?
Can she claim that using condoms is safer than being faithful? How would the teenagers react if they found out that their sex education trainer depends on the use condoms to prevent HIV & STD than to protect oneself based on basic human moral & ethic?
(2) SEXUAL HARASSMENT & WOMEN’S WELL-BEING:
Sexual harassment in a wider sense can includes harassment from female to female. A female with knowledge that a male person she is seeing is married or attached, yet knowingly intrude into the relationship with sexual offers, is a form of sexual harassment to the female victim.
To harass is to disturb or interfere with someone’s comfort and peace of mind. And to cause anxiety, apprehension, & worry to person who is innocent and did no harm to the harassment-giver. Causing the victim to suffer emotional threats and devastation.
If someone from an organization that advocates on sexual harassment suffered by woman yet in her personal lives is involved in causing indirect sexual harassment to other female, then it is big question on the credibility of the organization.
#22
If AWARE goes the way you advocate, then Glass Castle’s Jolene may not be exaggerating.
Anyway, let’s all not pass judgement. Watch and wait.
I agree with angry_one…we cannot afford such a theocracy taking over. I suspect taking over us is next on the agenda.
However an organisation is only powerful if it has overpowering influence.
Then the strategy should be to actively monitor and report their activities through blogs like TOC. That way we can spread the message to others and contain their inlfuence.
Agreeing with #24 that the netizens could be doing the job of “auditors” pretty well.
A Tan #15,
If Christians don’t like to be demonised, they should be avoid doing anything that anyone can use to demonise them. As far as Christianity is concerned, only God is qualified to judge people, not his followers.
smallvice_585
“What the fish? This is too much! What’s next? The religious fanatics going to persecute the rest of the non-believers?”
That what I expected the pap internet brigade to say. Gotcha.
smallvice_585. If you dont want to be unmasked as the PAP rep here. Try not to over do it. For you it looks like you are supportive only bc everyone is supporting it. Try to come across as sincere smallvice_585. Try to learn from the bro-hood. :)
bystander (#28) cum PAP Rep,
Sincere? You have religious nut jobs taking over a supposedly secular organisation and you expect me to sound sincere and project the image of being sympathetic to those nut jobs? It seems like we are going to have Spanish Inquisition going to take place in secular Singapore and the Singapore Government would do nothing about it because it involves the Christian majority.
smallvice_585, try harder next time. There was a time not so very long ago, when everyone used to believe the ST hook, line and sinker. But on this occasion. No one believes them any longer. They are starting to question the motive. Not even with people like you paid to trump their cause smallvices. As I said, try harder next time. All I see here is a bunch of complacent people who were sweep out and now they are clutching at straws to make a strawman campaign.
When I first read this article I went “Whoa these new people really mean business!” It’s not easy to gather the support and commitment from such a large group of people to perform a coup of such magnitude. This is truly deserving of our attention, and I agree with the suggestion that we should monitor this group and find out their intentions for AWARE, not just regarding their stand on homosexuality, but rather on women.
One thing I dont quite understand is why so much attention fixed on their stand on homosexuality, and not much attention on their stand on women’s rights, gender equality at work and law etc?
Afterall, isnt this a WOMEN’s advocacy group and NOT an anti-homosexual group?
rats (#30),
Which church are you from? Now, we not have a rats-infested Geylang Serai, but also a rats-infested AWARE.
32) smallvice_585 on April 14th, 2009 2.16 pm
Please do not insult and slam people on this forum. It is meant for civil debate and discussion. Personal insults are not welcome here. Everyone else here agree?
To XiiAoGeNgEnX (#32),
I did not say the Christians at AWARE are rats. If that is what you are thinking, then it is your own insinuation that is insulting the Christians.
These people are not Christians, they are fundamentalists. I don’t like their lifestyles either -I I don’t approve of Christianity or of anyone who believes in the Bible literally. Yet I am obliged to tolerate their silly beliefs, so thus they should tolerate mine. Stay out of my business and don’t apply your laws and your values to me. I think the Romans had the right idea throwing some of these people to the lions.
These Christians have insulted me all my life – they insult my values, they insult my culture, and they insult my beliefs. They are also intrinsically hostile to my religious beliefs. So yes, they and their theocracy should be opposed.
To poster #6, I am not sure what a typical ang mor is so maybe you can elaborate. Perhaps you can contrast and compare with a typical Chinese, Malay and Indian. Are you a typical Singaporean Chinese? I am only guessing of course but your Chinglish kind of gives you away.
As for your poltical sentiments about toxic investments, I’d suggest that you learn a bit more about business and finance. You will find that the vast majority of westerners did not sell you “toxic assets”. You might find that many a virtuous Asian has also in fact collaborated on this scheme.
However, I agree with you that westerners should not preach about human rights to others. However, I insist that I keep my Western secular values and that you should not try and impose any daft Christianity or “Asian values” on me. I will also insist on my human rights and the state to keep out of my business as far as possible.
And don’t ever moan to me about racism, colonialism, the shabby treatment overseas Chinese or anything else you may have a grievance about – just keep your head down and keep quiet.
The manner in which the new committee choose to take over AWARE only ensures that they have a target on their backs for the next one year. Not sure if this is the smart thing to do if they are indeed advocating a conservative stance.
I was fairly impressed with how the Straits Times did their investigative reporting on the background of the new committee members, but they probably only did so since it is in the govt’s interests to ensure that AWARE remains secular and to thrust the new committee into the limelight and ensure they do not advocate any particular religious stance.
At present, the silence from the new committee is deafening. It makes you wonder if they are really that well organised, unless they naively thought that they could get away from taking over AWARE in the manner that they did without having to give an account of themselves.
Just push the organisation towards obscurity by ignoring them lah, simple.
If they want to turn a publily-relevant organisation into a ‘family affair’, then they can just pander to their ‘relatives’ then. There are many other good organisations that need our support…
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. There is a time to cry and there is a time to laugh. With the takeover of a new watch-group at AWARE, I can understand the fuss that it is kicking up. For too long, as some have correctly remarked, complacency has found itsway into the leadership of the association. No one saw this coming. This alone lends credence to the theory of complacency.
So what now?
Whatever it is, the fundamental truth remains that this new leadership has been legally and constitutionally elected. In other word, there can be no accusation of any sort, that these new office bearers have usurped the office by unfair means.
It is understandable that there will be cries of fear and apprehension with the election of this new group. Those who have enjoyed riding along with the old leadership, the gays and pro-choice especially, now find themselves at the receiving end, of a new committee that now represents the opposite, non-gays and pro-life.
There is now weeping and grinding of teeth, as much as there is rejoicing in the opposite camp.
The article presented here is but one side of the story – the sulking side. Nothing more, nothing less.
To gamami,
No one is disputing that the new leadership is legally and constitutionally elected. However, it is also true that things were done on the sly by the new leadership and they managed to get elected simply through an organised takeover, taking advantage of the small number of “usual” attendees at the AGM.
If the new leadership does indeed have an agenda, they could have discussed it with the previous committee and if there are disagreements, to spell it out in the AGM agenda and have all the AWARE members make an informed decision. If the new leadership is still elected after making known the facts, no one can have any complaints. However, the refusal of the new leadership to engage in dialogue with the previous committee before the AGM is baffling and is only indicative of a “go it alone” policy which is divisive to say the very least.
Hi Maverick,
I agree with your comments and that seems to be the same picture painted for us to see. However, the truth remains that the new team was elected according to the provision of the constitution. In short, no foul play. Period.
The manner of their takeover is another kettle of fish altogether, imho. Another fact is, that those who have been enjoying the ride with the old leadership now find themselves threatened by the new leadership. Warranted or not, again debatable.
The fear expressed by pro-gay lobbyists like the writer of this article and Alex Au (a self-proclaimed gay), even before the new leadership has uttered a single word, is testament to this fact, the fear of uncertainty.
We can continue to debate whether or not the new team should have brought their intent to the table for discussion, but the third fact remains, that they need not have to do this, if they had chosen not to.
Why don’t everyone sit back and wait a wee bit longer and see where this new team is taking the association to and what they hope to represent. For all you know, all these speculations uttered here and elsewhere in blogoland may just be an over-reaction.
If you want your opinions to be respected, then there should be attempts to at least write in a less inflammatory manner. Given the tone and choice of words I read here, it is obvious that the article is written with no regard for objectivity, and no intention to inform. It is merely written to incite.
Hi Maverick
Me think that there should be a broad-minded approach to this incident. In every AGM one should be organised ..if they are and you are not blame yourself. I sense some complaceny here. The best advice I can give U is forgive and let them have a chance. You can organise yourself and make a comeback the next time..can’t you? Be a good sport!
“I agree with your comments and that seems to be the same picture painted for us to see. However, the truth remains that the new team was elected according to the provision of the constitution. In short, no foul play. Period.”
That is what the leader of the bro told us all as well last evening, “its above board. Give them a chance.” So he even told us not to just wait and see, but to even support the new AWARE. I think people like Alex and the writer of this piece no longer have the trusted objectivity to be constructive. For one they fail to perceive AWARE runs way beyond the gay and lesbian agenda to cover a much bigger footprint for women. So I think this change may even bring AWARE closer to focus on the needy areas for women. Instead of devoting so much time, energy and resources supporting Alex Au’s cause. Besides if there was anything fishy about it. The bros would have sounded the horn. They would have warned us all. Why havent they? So it cant be as bad as its made up to be here or by Alex. We all know they have a axe to grind. Go ahead do it. But dont do it at the expense of all women. AWARE is too important to us.
gemami (#40),
The change in leadership regime at AWARE is just as legal as PAP’s defamation suits against Opposition politicians. No more, no less.
31) XiiAoGeNgEnX is right–AWARE is a women’s right group, which is not necessarily affiliated with the gay rights movement. Feminism has taken the causes of sexual minorities under its wing before, and can, but it is not a default position–something that LGBT groups need to understand.
Anyone who has critically thought about gender issues will realise that women are not a homogenous group (poor women and rich women, for example, suffer different kinds of discrimination), and while it might be expedient for some agendas to see the cause for women’s equality tied to that of LGBT rights, it is no more than a political instance of strategic essentialism since they are very different things altogether.
I’m for repealing 377A, but whether AWARE decides to champion that cause or not is up to the organisation to decide–not christian or gay activists on either side of the fence. i think the position of an institution like AWARE is such that it can choose to either champion liberal rights for minorities, or to just focus on women’s issues–it shouldn’t diss homosexuality, but it doesn’t need to be a paragon for gay rights either. the only thing that potentially concerns me is the possibility of abstinence-only sexual education, informed by religious ideology–that is one thing we certainly don’t need. I have my apprehensions about the new AWARE, but i’ll wait for them to show their hand, first.
In any case, if it isn’t clear already, what we are seeing playing out on cyberspace is a struggle effectively painted as a Manichaean struggle between Christian fundies (are they?) and “liberal” LGBT communities advocating gay rights; the million dollar question is: where have the feminists gone?
And thus smallvice_585 just discredited itself as another hissy-fit whiner, drama queen with nothing substantial to say but bawling and more bawling.
To MonoGrizzly (#45),
Are you suggesting that “The change in leadership regime at AWARE is just as legal as PAP’s defamation suits against Opposition politicians.” is not true?
If it’s true that the Christian right have taken over AWARE, then the people originally involved in AWARE who care about this need to set up their own faction, draw up their own “Constitution,” and disavow these far-right elements.
agenda or not…Im glad there’s a change. Those complacent “elitist” old guards (lau charbo) should stop crying foul and start evaluating where they have failed and improve! Bitching about fellow sistas only confirm the stereotyping of women in power. Totally uncalled and frivolous!
The agenda is clear – to mobilize “manpower” to secure influential power centers in society.
This will ensure that issues like Abortion & Gays fighting for more space in society are dealt with promptly.
Major implications not only for civic groups, but for a country’s government as well, as the modus operandi of an organized power grab arising from within the incumbent political party becomes a growing possibility.
To have to do something on the sly, no matter what your religious background, is morally reprehensible.
They are deluding themselves if they think they can reach the gates of heaven by depriving other people of their right to co-exist in society just because they are different or hold different beliefs.