Declassified as a mental illness by the World Health Organization in 1990, homosexuality continues to be understood as a problem by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ). According to Leong Vai Kei, deputy director of the organization, homosexual students are referred to doctors or psychologists for a medical examination. Anthony Lam, president of the association Rainbow of Macau, speaks of a "common practice" in schools in Macau.
Currently in Macau, students who show "indications of homosexuality" are referred to doctors or psychologists for a medical examination by schools. The practice was acknowledged by Leong Vai Kei who, as substitute director of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ), believes that students do not have the capacity to assess their own sexuality.
Anthony Lam, president of the Rainbow of Macau organisation, told our sister publication PONTO FINAL about hearing of 10 cases over the past five years of students whose sexual orientation was the subject of a conversion attempt by school counsellors. Explaining how sex education is taught in Macau, Leong Vai Kei told the press last Thursday that premarital sex is not an "appropriate act for a lady".
"IF THE STUDENTS BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE HOMOSEXUAL, WE CAN TRANSFER THE CASE TO A PHYSICIAN FOR A CLINICAL EXAMINATION"
"If [a student] has indications of homosexuality, we refer this case to other competent authorities. If the children or students think they are homosexual, we can transfer the case to a doctor or psychologist for a clinical examination", said the DSEJ deputy director, on the sidelines of a visit to the Emergency Reception Centre at Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, last Thursday. When questioned about why the DSEJ believes homosexual students need clinical support, Leong Vai Kei replied that "education only teaches and will prevent; treatment is not within our competence".
According to the former head of the DSEJ's Teaching Department, students don’t have the capacity to understand their own sexuality: "During puberty there are students who get along very well with students of the same sex. This does not mean that they are homosexual. Who can say if a student is really homosexual or not? Not the DSEJ nor the student themselves".
Leong Vai Kei explained that school counselors only offer "counseling for the academic success of the students" and because these professionals are not trained in psychology, the DSEJ is provided with a support manual. "We have a supporting book that is a psychology book that has some descriptions about the homosexual," she said.
Anthony Lam however, contradicts these statements by revealing that he is aware of 10 cases over the last five years of students whose sexual orientation has been the subject of a conversion attempt by school counselors.
"Some of the counselors, for many reasons, pass erroneous messages to students. Normally, the ultimate goal they seek to achieve is to convert students' orientation to one that is conventional instead of what they really are", he disclosed.
"SENDING [HOMOSEXUAL] STUDENTS TO SCHOOL COUNSELORS HAS BEEN A COMMON PRACTICE"
Lam states that this government practice is not new. However, the activist says he was unaware that schools were sending homosexual students to doctors for clinical examinations, something he calls "excessive concern".
"Sending [homosexual] students to school counselors we know about, and it has been a common practice, but sending the cases to psychiatrists or medical institutions is not something we've heard of. If we are talking about primary school students, it is probably an exaggerated action. If we're talking about high school students, then it's even more of a concern," he says.
The Rainbow of Macau president is not worried that the students are referred to counselors. He instead sees it as an opportunity for self-knowledge. However, things change when doctors become involved.
"They are implying to students, schools, parents and society that unconventional sexual orientation is not accepted, is wrong and should be cured", Lam observes, recalling that since 1990 "according to the World Health Organization [homosexuality] is no longer considered a disease".
"MEN DO NOT LIKE THEIR FUTURE WIVES TO HAVE HAD SEXUAL RELATIONS BEFORE MARRIAGE"
When speaking about sex education in schools, Leong Vai Kei has repeatedly referred to what she says is a concept of local society and also an "ethical question": "We find that men do not like their future wives to have had premarital sex".
Without saying it explicitly, the DSEJ deputy director hinted that this idea is passed on to the female students during sex education classes.
"We think this is not an appropriate act for a lady, for this lady's body and her psychology. This lady will face stress and this lady's parents will also face stress", said the deputy, without ever mentioning men who have premarital sex.
According to Leong Vai Kei, sex education is not compulsory in Macau schools, with some subjects related to the topic integrated in the manual of the discipline of Moral and Civic Education. Moreover, it is up to each institution to decide whether and how its students learn about sex education.
The DSEJ deputy director also added that there is a difference in content taking into account whether students have had sex or not.
"If we know that students have had sex then we have a different education. Of course the DSEJ will teach what students should do, and not do what they want. That is, for a student who wants to have sex, it is not through contraception that they will evade responsibilities," she said.
According to Anthony Lam, these statements by the DSEJ deputy director reflect the problem of teaching sex education in Macau.
"The bureau itself is pointing to the problem because we do not have a reliable sex education curriculum", says the activist. The president of the Rainbow of Macau association argues that the first step involves the creation of a specific and independent subject to address these issues and, later, for better teacher training.
"We need to better prepare teachers so they can teach modern, contemporary and medically correct sex education", he says.
