Andrew Loh
Live from press conference:
The old Aware exco is presently holding a press conference at Bishan Junction 8. (18.00 hrs)
Press statement: Old Aware calls new exco “moral vigilantes”.
On homosexuality – Aware cannot be an ostrich and pretend it doesn’t exists – Kanwaljit Soin
What Aware gives are facts on homosexuality. Aware is “anti-anti anything”
Dana Lam: The mention of homosexuality is so miniscule in the programmes of Aware.
Panelists currently answering questions on homosexuality programmes..
Former Aware exco releases point by point rebuttal of accusations by new exco – including explanations on films shown in the past and the men being given the vote, and schools’ sexuality programmes.
“We believe in being open. No hidden agenda.” – on Aware’s past programmes.
“I don’t remember seeing Dr Thio Su Mien at any of the meeting [of Aware} in the past." - Dr Soin.
"I have not heard of Dr Thio Su Mien being called a feminists... but then you can always have closet feminists" - Dr Kanwaljit Soin, a founding member of Aware. "As far as I know, Aware has not deviated.... violence, against women, foreign workers.."
Aware was against the graduate mothers policy. Earlier Aware programmes were on literacy. Later, to financial literacy. Showing that Aware's focus was not a narrow one.
Important to recognise how Aware has built up processes of leadership building...
"How civil society actors behave in Singapore," Dr Soin, saying the issue is a bigger one. "Is this how we want civil society to behave?"
"It's not a fight between women. It's about civil society.. if you join a society, it must be because you empathise with the issues. " Dr Soin.
If new Aware members did not agree with the "single issue" Aware, then they shouldn't have joined Aware or took over the organisation.
One cannot come in and "strangle" the organisation. - Dr Soin.
"I think we are very sadden that Josie Lau has received [death] threat… we are sorry for that. We do not think such actions should took place in a civil society.” – Dr Soin.
Panelist do not want to “give away” what they have planned for the May 2nd EOGM.
Indonesian schools have asked to use Aware’s sexuality programmes.
Statement that Aware is allowing men into the organisation is “not true”. It is still under discussion.
Constance Singam: Instructions given to staff to co-operate with new Aware exco.
“It is not a question of factions. It’s just an idealogical divide.” – Dr Soin.
“The appearance they [the new exco] give is that they’re not ready for dialogue,” Dr Soin. The old guard is always ready for dialogue.
“Don’t demonse us and say things which are not true,” – Dr Soin.
New exco giving out contradictory statements.
Low membership because we are “liberal”, “laid back”. But currently crisis has aroused S’poreans to action. “Not Aware’s style to actively seek out members.” A variety of reasons why members did not renew membership. Membership is only for one year.
Constance Singam does not feel responsibility is hers alone for what has happened under her watch as president.
The lack of trust and lack of justice on the day of takeover… that trust is gone. – Constance Singam. “I am saddened by what is happening.”
Constance Singam breaks down.
New guards should be responsible for what is happening. Old guard was “too trusting”.
Hope that next Saturday’s eogm will not become a “numbers’ game”.
“It is incumbent upon us to be secular,” Dr Soin. “Aware is secular and it will remain so.”
“We did not say, hey first you have to convert to lesbianism before you can come into the programme,” says Dr Soin, on Aware’s programmes. Aware tackled this issue sensitively and “beautifully”.
“We do not want to speculate,” Dr Soin when asked about the new exco’s religious agenda.
Several representatives from various NGOs now making statements in support for the old exco of Aware.
TOC’s “live” report ends.
TOC will bring you a full report later tonight.
It’s good that they have reacted swiftly, unlike the new exco.
Yes, that’s should be the way! Unlike the new exco, have to ask Queen Bee for answer! Ultimately the Queen Bee have to answer herself, even though she’s not in the exco!
Thio Family again…. tsktsktsk
And to add, I am very happy other organisations are finally speaking up for AWARE. This, I believe, has to do with the expose of the new guards’ motives. No longer are people unclear or in doubt.
Even if they win in the EOGM, they will have no legitimacy in the eyes of Singaporeans. But they would have washed out years of hardwork….
When we say to the old guards: build another new organisation. It’s easier said then done. You spend 24 yrs building brick by brick the house you live in, only to have it ransacked and torn down overnight by a group of thieves.
If these stormtroopers have the least bit of decency left as human beings, they should know not to further this crazy crusade in the name of the den mother TSM.
That is what I call the spirit of openess, no hidden agenda, states the fact clearly unlike the new exco commttees who constantly display their arrogance without any clear plan ahead. They were also seen as very professional, rebutting without hurting unless new exco comittees who spew lies and very offensive both in words and actions.
I don’t think anyone is taking away credit for what the old guards of Aware have done for women at large.
For whatever reason(s) if there is any, the new guards were voted and elected according to Aware constitution fair and square. Give the new exco a chance to prove their mettle. Don’t be sore losers as what the public perceived.
If the new exco are not up to the mark, they won’t be around at Aware’s next AGM that certain as members themselves ultimately call the shots during the AGM just like the electorates during our political election.
Lets put an end to these “hen-fighting” although it’s quite refreshing during this gloomy economic climate.
Good to have some clarification. Being “anti-anti anything” doesn’t sound quite right to me though ;)
Maybe its time to rename the troubled organization, Association Towards Women’s Advance & Rise (ATWAR).
7) yipeng
I think what they mean by “anti-anti anything” should be against all form of discrimination…they are not pro-homosexuals, but they are against anti-homosexuals?
trextrex , what you say may be true, provided if the new exco is voted in without a COUP.
Now we know… TSM is the equivalent of laolao (姥姥) from A Chinese Ghost Story (倩女幽魂). Don’t know which one scarier – TSM or MSM? LOL…
If the old AWARE exco are supporting and promoting homosexual lifestyle through events and films, they deserve to be voted out during the AGM. Give the new AWARE exco some time to work things out.
I do appreaciate the aware’s hard work for helping woman.But i am worry about what they teach or view same marriage as a good lifestye.
Just imagine we start sharing that to your 4 years child. I think is very confusing.
I think the new guard who against the view made more sense to me.
Hey, the old guards say they are sexuality discrimination is also a form of discrimination. Is the woman’s charter discriminating against woman (for saying they are weak) and man (for depriving them of fair judgment)?
Will we see the old guards work to dispose the woman’s charter? I hope they do.
If AWARE is “anti-anti anything” then, please AWARE, don’t be anti the most defenceless in our midst, the unborn child.
Talking about “stating the facts”, human life begins at the moment of conception. Please therefore respect the dignity and right of that unborn child to live.
Those who advocated to let the new exco committtees try out for one year is as good as allowing Taliban to rule the country another year. So please stop dreaming because we already witnessed hell broke loose every single days the new comittees are in office. The past few weeks have been quite traumatic for Singaporean and we do not wish to bear it for the next one year and doing nothing about it while the fundamentalist christians are at work to divide this country.
I just threw away my Hasbro Star Wars Imperial Stormtrooper action figure. I just can’t look at it and not think about Thio and co. Thanks Thio. You just soiled all over my childhood.
Zefly,
If you have any Star Trek toys…. I want you to imagine Thio as the Borg Queen. Resistance is futile!
lol
Yeah…. POWER TO THE OLD GUARDS!!!
Old guard let lose thei guards and lost….now trying to recover grounds …. a bit late….. renewal always important…learnt from the PAP. If you don’t renew, you will be renewed….so do not be sour grapes…
Nicky
Thanks but no thanks. If people like Josie & the Pussycats are taking over (secretly led by Darth Thio) then I would rather die a natural death than be renewed.
The events happening are just like the Iraq war. Good planing to win the war but no planning for the aftermath. They did not expect the old guard to react so well and so swiftly. The new guard have been fumbling all the way and have lost the intellectual war of ideas. They are now using their last card – fearmongering of gays to frighten neutrals and religious people onto their side. Don’t fall for this tactic.
Sorry, mistake
Thanks but no thanks. If people like Josie & the Pussycats are taking over (OPENLY (not “secretly”) led by Darth Thio) then I would rather die a natural death than be renewed.
Yup. And they have been asking their cronies (no doubt their fellow church mates or fundie co-religionists) to write to ST forum to dwell on the “lesbian syllabus” issue. Lame!
Alamak! Joshua. you shouldn’t have thrown it away. You should have given it to me, so that whenever I see it, i will be reminded of the day I took the worng side.
#23 Artemov…
AWARE’s comprehensive sexuality guide says “it is okay to have anal sex, just use a condom”… on the Straits Times today. This is a fact.
It’s doesn’t take a Christian to see that this is so wrong to teach our kids… you guys are so spun up to the Christian conspiracy you fail to see what is wrong here.
I do not want my daughter to be taught in schools that being lesbian is normal and that she should embrace and experience it. I do not want my son to be told by his friend that it is okay to poke his asshole as long as a condom is used.
What’s wrong with you guys?
Aiyoh WeC at 25), you go around posting the same thing, I also learn from you lor.
In case you don’t know, straight couples have anal sex too, and its perfectly legal. So is it wrong? And if they decide to try, should they use condoms or not?
The narrow mindedness displayed by some people here is suffocating.
When I fall in love, I say, “I love you because you make me happy in a way no one else can, and I love you for all the little quirky things you do” and not “hey, I love you because you have a penis”. I love a person for his/her character, not sexual organ. Since when has falling in love become a sin?
And btw, is it just me or is the surname Thio starting to become associated with homophobia? Recalling the s377a incident..are they related??
But oral sex AFTER anal sex should be banned!!!!! muahahahahahahhahahaaha!!!!
26) Artemov on April 26th, 2009 12.20 pm
Aiyoh WeC at 25), you go around posting the same thing, I also learn from you lor.
In case you don’t know, straight couples have anal sex too, and its perfectly legal. So is it wrong? And if they decide to try, should they use condoms or not?
Hi Artemov ,
Zefly asked, do you have oral sex after anal sex? and have supper ? If you do better have a condom just in case.
Straight people have anal sex better don’ t let the police catch you, legal in your room.
#25) WeC on April 26th, 2009 10.23 am
#23 Artemov…
AWARE’s comprehensive sexuality guide says “it is okay to have anal sex, just use a condom”… on the Straits Times today. This is a fact.
I take it you are referring to the Sunday Times (the only place I can find this is where they quote our very “honest, open and truthful” new exco. which we all know is a true fountain of truth and verity. But where exactly does it say this in the syllabus itself (I assume you have read the syllabus since you are criticising it…or am I assuming too much).
And should we allows self-confessed (and unrepentant) liars to take charge of a civic organisation?
if the old guards are indeed pro-gay, why did the new guards who knew about the developments not openly bring that issue out?
they could have gathered enough facts to support their cause, no? now that they have lied all the way till they no longer could. can they be trusted to champion any cause in Aware?
furthermore quote:
//////////Josie Lau mentioned wanting to “disagree in an agreeable manner”, but her actions so far seemed strangely at variance with this claim.//////////
by the same yardstick, all future coup leaders should be given time to prove themselves, & we should all give our full support (to encourage coups?)? lol.
/// 24) gemami on April 26th, 2009 8.31 am
Alamak! Joshua. you shouldn’t have thrown it away. You should have given it to me, so that whenever I see it, i will be reminded of the day I took the worng side. ///
To the dark side, you almost went.
Seen the light in time, you did.
;)
Well T, my philosophy has been a very simple one – that they are innocent until proven guilty – and the crime here is proven beyond a reasonable doubt – no less by the accused themselves.
It’s the same ain’t it…having anal sex or having the ‘normal’ sex…obviously to prevent STD’s we have to abstain, but since our libido takes the better out of us now they can’t do anything but to say ‘it’s okay, just use a condom…’
I don’t see what’s wrong with anal sex if you use a condom. It’s their sex lives after all. Sex is sex, no matter which orifice you exploit– If you want to argue how morally and intristically wrong it is, then you shouldn’t be having any form of sex at all with or WITHOUT a condom, isn’t it?
It seems ridiculous thta you want to teach you kids what type of sex tey can or cannot have…if anal sex is wrong than are you implying that normal male-female intercourse for minors is right?
Hypocrisy never fails to amaze me.
And it never fails to amaze me how prying and self-righteous some ‘parents’ are when it comes to….anal sex. Why are these people so obssessed with sex all the time, and even want to pry into the privacy of their children’s bedroom, as to what kind of sex their children are going to have, and in what position, and in what way. Gees… If their daughters have anal sex or non-anal sex with their future husbands, it is up to the discretion of their daughters and their husbands to do what they want in their bedrooms. Do you need to even interfere such things???