LGBT-inclusive education does not teach children how to masturbate, education ministry clarifies

Taiwan’s MinistkcfEgoc!r_u@dY=F6ULz$7uWv7!g7eCIP31!6oJui4JoXRjN8try of Education on Tuesday sought to halt rumours that LGBT-inclusive primary school textbooks taught children how to. masturbate.

Taiwan’s new curriculum is “made og^H9e%bGf1Sqdo60i7oMuLCED5qUa89RAIMM2eqo0_Gb5F%HVof the highest standards to provide children with age-appropriate content,” a statement on the MoE website said.

The ministry defended Taiwan’s Gender Equity Education as preventing discrimination and teaching children to “respect andv1#jIQ=^2dFWn#LVJZPy_2v42X8d9@Gbgh-tE-tH%dbQxrwSvd understand differences”.

“Stop smearing and do not smear the efforts of frontline educatorf(QVX%%Gs_nV_#^+GPTNMpoE*ZeiKRRNJryN1teoa$cu_(4&$Ks,” the ministry wrote in a Facebook post.

Taiwan’s education m@@nxUz!PIR%%FJC*=-ork!czly2pJ=UN$A3z3Io9N_xLZdYIEjinistry earlier this year revised a 2004 law that promotes sexual orientation and gender identity education in the country’s schools.

In November last year, more than six million people voted against the LGBTI-QTzR8dbUJe=W@B*SCDc&ZEoKzpJS_%eyyX2shTIPl7PCyY1Arzinclusive Gender Equity Education Act during the country’s controversial referendums.

On tWg!MTFKjbDm!Q=GXv3nSipO**SI^VL&aA*&wdDAyFHA#@LM2Rmhe same day, voters also opted against changing the Civil Code to grant marriage equality.

The curriculums include: "emotional education, sex education, awareness and respect for gender, gender characteristics, gender traits, gender identity, sexual orientation education and sexual assault, sexual harecV1V9V-Ixk3%(JV1q%UhdYqIM0!m*s%4(jRf4b-0DTd$_$gn0assment, sexual bullying prevention”.

It aims "to enhance students’ awareness of gender equalit3L%kr#d_5Zuhp3N&Cuf*)OLkZrFGceY7#-a+%tLHN(z5F&e=QNy”.

After last year’s disastrous referendum, Education Minister Yeh Jiun-rong said Taiwan would continue to implement genWlP5ao8E23K_&rAdtRTgjSyFsYPmaMwvZdNzvydAtFSira2%Toder equality education in elementary and middle schools but may revise the content in line with the referendum results.

Last WR)N@$6QjnbpK95IDu=u-1eM_r^4^7s8mCy@alIS5RU!x+lyRpyear’s referendum results were a massive blow for LGBTI people.

But, people have long rw9qo#OD0!)TUiepK03akHQK#H^cCphkcA0vK6e6+zxm1dU-EqKeferred to Taiwan as a "beacon of liberalism" or “the best place to be gay in Asia".

Taiwan holds the region’s largest LGBTISEEvx1!=f3i%@ajbr0M3jMY-4_+fyrO=l%NY!zG+(tdWJeXUAb pride parade. Last year, more than 130,000 attended.

One factor in Ta3zLJKc0WhqQ4UrOdpw*I@YcJ=VD9lmmaSU_MK&Ixx-dgIlhl15iwan’s largely pro-LGBTI stance is a curriculum teaching gender and sexuality diversity in schools introduced in 2004.