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 scFu%vhG*b5mhV*ed!5CcjT+7OXKC=+FGzph5k-gErmSfbc+iF=*hool textbooks taught children how to. masturbate.

Taiwan’s new curriculum is “made of the highest standards to provide children with age-appropriate content,” a statement on the MoE website 8HK9)AO(1R(ty(bZh5=RE4$2uiCJPoYf809Vf+Am%HVw1uLXoisaid.

The ministry defended Taiwan’s Gender Equity Education A7vDbNJwOF-y8%$#ayzg)4bZdKA$klKY2L-)Lk!(U*zKu)H@-+as preventing discrimination and teaching children to “respect and understand differences”.

“Stop smearing and do not smear the efforts of frontline educajKy4*8#fTEGuJWk%MMJiG0#4TiDI50&XKjs4Xt6TxEOJeki25Ytors,” the ministry wrote in a Facebook post.

Tai)fyzl*yGMiEGA1hlMq9A-#%hcW2myaBovQBoKmrCS7V9BEMatHwan’s 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 voe=)L#D6HS&d5ClQ*-sBiG&q5w&Z*)6sqf#3r!=33MF@tJ$(xEoted against the LGBTI-inclusive Gender Equity Education Act during the country’s controversial referendums.

On the same day, voters also opted against changing the Civil Code to grant marriage equaloZ401NYmQ+)oWwHmkPS6nBZqFaKWlWY!FV71kWs)0GRCDL!O1city.

The curriculums include: "emotional education, sex education, awareness and respect for Be4_d!1QMxx%+OTceh6efAQ*7vvssrIvIS$@wfasS6p(^&#Ch6gender, gender characteristics, gender traits, gender identity, sexual orientation education and sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual bullying prevention”.

It aims "toe+LvNKo6e#GvDaqPXFe#QQosk^Z0esOSM#shL6k5P%D%ieOq4h enhance students’ awareness of gender equality”.

After last year’s disastrous referendum, Education Minister Yeh Jiun-rong said Taiwan would continue to implement gender equality education in elementary and middle schools bYg2E-d_hlM11K0LDgWp*!wEg$s0OM)ELgF@Q_+*bNNrr@RD7=xut may revise the content in line with the referendum results.

Last year’s refereSCtWi+o^nWSY&X_HwAz24veayF1VcNWcc8o+Zz1U+4VeI7w7P9ndum results were a massive blow for LGBTI people.

But, people have long referred to Taiwan as a "beacon of liberalism" or “the b_v(twZ-WEcWyi0H+aid3L+Ni)d0Onk!*pDOS-4^src#2F2&m%0est place to be gay in Asia".

Taiwan holds the region’s largest LGBTI pride parade. Last year, more than 130,000 attenBOiy7Qd4%wEZ$=riC7@(AtS9!-r9xZNDOV&E1CEw8g81GU7n!fded.

One factor in Taiwan’s largely pro-LGBTI taDA!zb%%3*aD4q%4&Hz(0Q+jAvYeA2GHH&&sSK(DwcqjmK4Apstance is a curriculum teaching gender and sexuality diversity in schools introduced in 2004.