Several LGBT rights, gender equality and parents’ groups yesterday held a press conference in support of the Ministry of Education’s selection of a book for elementary-school readers about two princes falling in love with each other.
As part of its program to promote reading among students who are entering their first year of elementary or junior-high school — the first and seventh grades, respectively — the Ministry of Education this year gifted each first grader one book from a list of 100 selected titles, including the Mandarin edition of the picture book King & King (國王與國王) by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland.
However, the selection of the book has been protested by some groups over its LGBT content.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
At a news conference outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, repregsentatives from several groups, including the Taiwan Equality Campaign, the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association, the Awakening Foundation, the Taiwan Gender Equity Education Association, the Garden of Hope Foundation and the Kaohsiung Holistic Education Parents’ Association, as well as other groups and individuals, such as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Fan Yun (范雲), spoke in support of the inclusion of the book.
“Only understanding can replace discrimination,” they chanted, among other messages.
“We all feel scared and worried about things that are unfamiliar,” said Lin Wei-yun (林蔚昀), who translated the book published by Children’s Publication Co.
She said that once people understand, they would no longer be afraid.
Claims that the book is “not age-appropriate” make not “one bit of sense,” Kaohsiung Holistic Education Parents’ Association President Yen Jen-yi (顏任儀) said.
At a separate news conference, Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation president Tseng Hsien-ying (曾獻瑩), who coproposed Referendum No. 11 in 2018, and others called on the ministry to withdraw the book to comply with the results of the referendum.
The referendum asked: “Do you agree that in the course of mandatory public education (in junior-high schools and elementary schools), the Ministry of Education and schools at various levels should not teach classes regarding gay people that are stipulated by the Gender Equity Education Act (性別平等教育法)?”
The referendum passed with 7,083,379 votes.
The book depicts marriages between men and women as unhappy and “being forced” upon the couple, while same-sex marriages are depicted as happy, Tseng said.
It attempts to “brainwash” children’s dreams and expectations about marriage and family, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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