One of the problem with AWARE saga for outside commentators, that is those who have not dealt with religious right-wingers nor familiar with gay issues or women issues, is that they tend to paint the old guards in AWARE as sore losers, still wanting to grapple for power despite losing legally.
To be fair, the election was not illegal, I believe AWARE’s constitution allowed for such power grapping to happen. So the issue here is not that some religious right-wingers have grabbed power in AWARE, but rather why and for what motive.
The old guards in AWARE having worked with women issue for so long would have good idea what for women’s right should and can take, including gay women issue and they will be aware of what kind of ideas would be detrimental for women.
Side-tracking a bit, its very funny that I see some men commenting that AWARE should focus on women’s issues only and not gay issues. How male-centric can that be? There are gay women too, not just gay men! Further more, you have also have the rights and protection of our transgender friends to deal with. So gay women’s rights and transgender rights IS part of the women’s issue.
Now the old guards having dealt with the religious right-wingers before have a good idea of their world view and they harm they will bring about in order to achieve their goals. That is why they continue to question their motive and their principles, their believes and how they would like operating within AWARE. But the new people would not say.
Now you must remember, so far most of the reports around AWARE centered around some of the exco’s religious inclination and well as their anti-homosexual stance, nothing about how well AWARE support gay women’s right. But George Lim, who probably also went to the same COOS church as the rest, offered us a free view of their agenda…
April 18, 2009
New leaders must repair organisation’s reputation WHY should newcomers not take over the executive committee of a non-profit organisation like the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware)?
The previous leaders had tarnished Aware’s fine reputation and its worthy cause when they intentionally promoted the screening of the perverted movie Spider Lilies, which had an overtly lesbian content.
The action by the former executive committee was inconsistent with Aware’s ideals.
In its vision, Aware stated: ‘We believe that gains made by women are not gains made at the expense of men. Rather, they are gains which benefit families and society as a whole.’
However, by lending its good name to promote the socially regressive movie, the previous executive committee was unable to justify how lesbianism could ‘benefit families and society as a whole’.
I urge the new leadership not to follow in the footsteps of the previous executive committee.
All non-profit organisations must live up to their visions and not deviate from their goals of serving to benefit the public.
Indeed, Aware’s recent election shows that its members and the public have a conscience to deliver noble promises for the benefit of society.
George Lim
And the above is really the agenda of the some of new exco member of AWARE and this is why the old guards and many who have tolled in AWARE are probably up against. Amongst others, I suspect that they will promote anti-abortion and abstience through their christian literature with pseudo-science disguised as secular contents and scientific fact.
Now the argument with the women is whether they should take back the positions in number with the upcoming EOGM, I think they should. Of course, the counter argument to that is that this will not end as the opposition can then get more people and counter-vote them. My feel is that, they should try it once and they succeed and save AWARE, good for them. But the opposition is too strong, let it go, regroup and wait for their next move. Those who want to start an alternative to AWARE should be encouraged, in hope to contain their damage.
Other posts:
Salt * Wet * Fish 
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