FROM A Correspondent
SHILLONG, Feb 14: The Thma U Rangli (TUR) on Valentine’s Day launched a sticker campaign to open up discussion on notions of consent, safety, pleasure, equality and respect.
Members of the TUR led by Angela Rangad visited Ward’s Lake and other public places in the city and distributed stickers to the visitors to the tourist spot.
Speaking to mediapersons, Rangad informed that it is high time that sex education should be introduced as a curriculum in the school. According to her, teachers should be well trained to impart sex education among the school children.
She stated that they are planning to take this campaign to the schools, colleges and localities.
Rangad also stated that church should also play a pro-active role on this issue.
According to her, the Church should take secular look on the issue of sex rather than focusing on the moral aspect of it.
“It is time that the church takes a different view to educate our youth on the issue concerning about sex,” Rangad said.
According to the TUR leader, presently the Church sees sex from the moralistic point of view. “Its (Church) attitude is that they will be punished if they indulge (in sex). Therefore they hide (their deeds out of fear). The Church’s role is to be proactive and not to condemn them but accept the reality. They (youth) need information not our judgment,” Rangad added.
The TUR said, “It is important that society acknowledges sex and sexuality and the need to have honest conversations with boys and girls, men and women on issues such as consent, negotiation, pleasure, bodily autonomy, boundaries, respect and gender equality.”
The people’s group said that the response also has to be secular, acknowledge realities of sexual lives of the society and that mere moral posturing will worsen the situation, forcing the actual issues to be driven underground.
Similarly according to TUR, just a legalistic approach to crimes against women, children and sexual minorities will not have preventive impact.