Taiwan's Progressive Candidate for President

Dr. Tsai Ing-wen

Tsai Ing-wen is all about equality, and she's not afraid to fight for it.

As leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Ing-wen is a top contender for the presidency of Taiwan, and campaign season is in full swing in the country widely known as Asia's most progressive and gay-friendly.

Taiwan remains the only Asian country with nationwide anti-discrimination protections in place.  The first, banning sexual orientation discrimination in education, was passed by the Yuan (Taiwanese parliament) in 2003.  The second, which banned discrimination in the workplace, became law in 2007.   Additionally, LGBT rights issues have been a part of high school curricula since the passage of the Gender Equity Education Act of 2003.

Political Correctness: Inclusive of Everyone

The words "politically correct" make some people roll their eyes.  They may feel that society (Western society in particular) has become far too politically correct in the post-modern era, and even the simplest things can run the risk of being offensive to someone, somewhere.  Many heterosexual people aren't sure how to interact with people who are LGBT, in a way that will not be deemed as politically incorrect.

Being politically correct isn't difficult and it doesn't have to be stressful or over the top.  It's actually incredibly easy.  It simply requires knowledge of the golden rule, and one simple word:  inclusion.

Harmless fairytale...or EVIL GAY PORN!!

Over the past several months I have gotten quite a few questions regarding the children's book King and King, which I mentioned on my Equality 101 page.  Some are wondering what it's all about, or if it's "a threat."

My reply:  Yes actually, it is a threat.  It's a threat to bigotry and homophobia.

One rather upset email commenter said "This is nothing more than gay porn propaganda for kids!"  Interesting, considering it is neither pornographic nor propagandist.  It's a fricking fairytale, people.

This is a brief rundown of the book which, along with other books like it, can be found in elementary schools in my country.  You decide if it's evil or not.

Demand an End to Bullying

Anti-gay bullying has always been a huge problem in many schools around the globe.  Now the issue is getting headline coverage and attention due to several gay teenagers in the U.S. who have committed suicide because they were being continually harassed and bullied by classmates.  Nowadays the bullying doesn't end when a child leaves the school grounds, it follows them home through text messaging and online social media.

This is disgraceful and disgusting and we must demand an end to verbal and physical harassment.  That means parental involvement, putting pressure on school administrators to teach tolerance and acceptance.  Children must be taught that words such as "fag" and "queer" are demeaning and hurtful, and calling a gay person those words is just as unacceptable as calling a black person the "n" word.  It means kids who aren't being bullied, but who see or hear other kids getting bullied, must report the behavior to their teachers, and teachers must take swift action.  It means kids who are being bullied or harassed must not simply accept it.  It means not approving of and laughing along with our peers when demeaning jokes are told about gays and lesbians.

In the Philippines specifically, it means that public officials must be held accountable for the bigoted and unacceptable statements they make, such as the incredibly shameful COMELEC's 2009 statement that homosexuals are "immoral," "unseemly," "transgressive," and a "threat to the youth."  Or congressman Bienvenido Abante's many deplorable anti-gay statements.  Or the crass comments made by the MTRCB's Marissa LaGuardia.  When such public statements of intolerance and ignorance are made, and then allowed to stand without reprimand, it sends a message to the youth and the nation as a whole that it's okay to be prejudiced against gays and lesbians; that it's okay to chastise and mock them.

Such statements aren't just ignorant, they're also dangerous.  They give a tacit stamp of approval for bigotry, hate speech, and hate crimes, as well as imply that there is shame in being gay or lesbian.

Stopping intolerance and bullying means we all have to do our part -- gay, straight, bi, and trans alike.  It's no longer acceptable to simply say "well bullying happens... it's normal... kids will be kids... boys will be boys."  No.  Tormenting others simply because of the way they were born is absolutely unacceptable.

It will take everyone to help stamp out this disgraceful behavior, but especially the heterosexual community.  Let's all do our part to ensure the safety and dignity of all persons, from the schoolyard to the backyard.

As U.S. first lady Michelle Obama said, "Kids will follow our lead.  They will follow our example, but we've got to set it."


For more information, you can visit "Stop Bullying Now"