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

Taiwan’s Ministry of Education on Tuesday sought to halt rumours that LGBT-inclusive primary school textbooks taught children AETe!lYlM=L0td4giF2x1JJu#B#u75xiq&mv%9^wSNJ=-PplcIhow to. masturbate.

Taiwan’s new curriculum is “made of the highest standards to provide children with age-appropriate content,” a statement on the MoE weHp@tLyuuQJ@pweCsiOHEL_c9RaAcTg2+cn5-1AA&j#O3)Gy^p2bsite said.

The ministry defended Taiwan’s Gender Equity Edu%z_nE%y+^+iV(f5sttPKXU%nM=EsETv@33ubqhG%Wcv^!syd*Fcation as preventing discrimination and teaching children to “respect and understand differences”.

“StdM+3IsNyHewC1EQmv(2@Xunpk+@G6*R%xkl!cksW$EcM9wD8PEop smearing and do not smear the efforts of frontline educators,” the ministry wrote in a Facebook post.

Taiwan’s(G(Ji0ld#KS)Bm@-+K%zCEUYoqx-ihv=T!sSS2iCxJuIHfHLLX education ministry 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-inclusive Gender Equity EducatirbLlCid$IW4O-f86&XAsd%RKdTuJ4VYZAH!pw8D&U3!9Ax*N!con Act during the country’s controversial referendums.

On the same day, voters also opted againzST%496A#ie@uH&^4J_qGZfQW6UHKZg0XHgIWAOAwLlyD6D(Sqst changing the Civil Code to grant marriage equality.

The curriculums include: "emotional education, sex education, awareness and reX%EA^s^*tSqi3_b@KmrS07157xtA1vN8$LSGkns^sM)#r*dJ4pspect for gender, gender characteristics, gender traits, gender identity, sexual orientation education and sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual bullying prevention”.

It aims "to enh&XbVymt7p6=R^RSIeKQ)Wg0D+MlBOw5YxKVe^=GvtHFomOBsaNance students’ awareness of gender equality”.

After last year’s disastrous referendum, Education Minister ccKIswYaZUAe2Es^@tl*OxbG)s_-$Px0pxZKSDvE!+vJabztUCYeh Jiun-rong said Taiwan would continue to implement gender equality education in elementary and middle schools but may revise the content in line with the referendum results.

Last year’seqrW9!K7u)T5L@#X@Aj2-W@8=Y8WxWVZeM5DEm0AZ3e-Xjlh4I referendum results were a massive blow for LGBTI people.

But, people have long referred to Taiwan as a "beacon of liberalism" or “the best AVFflrZ3c-quN4Cs5Dy^4rUQ)MWojJixJy$hJliLVo5Fgr8u8nplace to be gay in Asia".

Taiwan holds the region’s largest LGBTG2@PURPJ=r1xeqCZz8Bze)9RHh^0x4SGdSQewC5kR58UbjlvCmI pride parade. Last year, more than 130,000 attended.

One factor in Taiwan’s largely pro-LGBTI stance is a curriculum teaching gender and sexuality diversity in schools introduced in 20rn_Fj+qB4p26oqUGOqAXaLeGAmvtU5n(07CmDzE-ztWL#knXim04.