The Health Promotion Board’s attempt to explain issues revolving around homosexuality has got so hot that it is now going to get an airing in Parliament on February 17.
PAP MP Lim Biow Chuan said in a Facebook post: “I am utterly disappointed at the HPB’s stand in issuing such a statement.” He has filed a question for the Health Minister to answer.
His disappointment stems from a FAQ which was posted on the Board’s website in November last year. One major contention is the Board’s point that homosexual relationships are not very different from those of heterosexuals.
He said the two relationships are different and they go against government’s policy.
Lim told the Today paper: “If we say a homosexual relationship is quite normal, then people get confused because that is not the state’s pro-family position.”
Another point of contention is the Board’s presentation of “opinions as facts”. Lim pointed out to the statement that homosexuals can certainly have long-lasting relationships. There were no conclusive studies to show that this stand is a fact, he said.
The MP is the latest to weigh in on this issue. Already, Pastor Lawrence Khong has put up a seven-page response taking issue with the Board’s post. This has provoked another petition to counter Khong’s points.
Let’s see how the Minister will tackle this sticky issue on February 17.