By Sean Malloy
In the growing push for censorship, a spearhead role has been played by the Sydney tabloid Sunday Telegraph. A campaign mounted by the paper was the immediate cause of the federal government's withdrawal of funding from the Making Sense of Sex project, which included telephone counselling and the Fact and Fantasy File.
When Resistance announced its publication of Fantastic Sex Facts, containing all the information in the Fact and Fantasy File, the Sunday Telegraph editor, Roy Miller, vowed to have that publication banned.
In the week since Fantastic Sex Facts was printed, Resistance has distributed more than 5000 copies. They have been eagerly received, especially by young people.
Miller then invited Resistance spokesperson Zanny Begg to debate the issue with him for a feature in the Sunday Telegraph. Journalists from Green Left Weekly and the Sunday Telegraph were present for the confrontation on April 3.
Miller said he objected only to parts of the publication but would continue his campaign to have Fantastic Sex Facts banned. "I'm still horrified that a 14-year-old girl or boy can buy this publication", he said.
"We feel that it has lots of useful information for 14-year-olds on questions of how to protect their health, how to feel confident about the choices they're making about their own lives", replied Begg.
Miller asserted that the publication was "telling" young people to have sex before marriage and to experiment with multiple partners.
Miller asked Begg, "How do you explain to a 14-year-old, [quoting from Fantastic Sex Facts] '... so experiment, find out what turns you on and what you enjoy, but play it safe, your life could depend upon it ...'? Are you telling a 14-year-old that he or she can play around and have sex with whoever?"
"We're not trying to push anything on anyone", Begg answered. "We are saying that you can feel comfortable and confident about the choices you're making about sex and sexuality, and don't end up pregnant if you don't want to and don't end up with an STD."
Miller asked later, "Has a 14-year-old the right to choose about sex?"
Begg replied, "I think 14-year-olds can think for themselves, but it is far more important for them to make informed choices rather than ones based on ignorance.
"You have to accept the fact that 14-year-olds are having sex, and it is far more important that they know what they are doing than remain ignorant and perhaps get themselves in a terrible mess and even a ion."
Miller asked Begg about sex before marriage.
"No-one is any position to tell anyone else when or who or how they should be having sex, as long as it is not in a coercive situation. If people want to have sex before marriage that's their business", was Begg's response.
"I think young people should be told that there is more than one option in sexuality", she added later.
Miller said that he didn't believe in sex before marriage and that it was a moral question for him.
Miller objected to an item in Fantastic Sex Facts under the heading "Sex Questions". It read: "Do girls want sex as much as boys? Answer: yes."
"Does this publication have any right to say that the answer is correct? How do you know that girls want sex as much as boys?", Miller asked.
"The continuation of that question is that it doesn't matter whether you are a girl or boy; it depends on who you are and what you feel whether you want sex a lot or not", said Begg.
Miller was upset by the paragraphs under the heading "shooting up". These paragraphs explained how to clean a needle between use or when sharing and the needle exchange phone number.
"I am not naive to think that people out there are not using drugs, but is it fair comment to say 'always use a clean needle when shooting up'?", asked Miller.
Begg responded, "The position that Resistance has taken with this publication is that we are not going to moralise about what people are doing. We are merely saying that if people are doing things like shooting up then make sure you don't end up either transmitting the HIV virus if you are infected or catching it if you are not."
"But you're saying it is okay to shoot up", continued Miller.
"We're not taking any position on whether it is okay to shoot up or not", Begg said. "We are not moralising about people and the choices that they make in their life."
"I think your paper is taking an irresponsible attitude", she added. "You said that the publication of the Fact and Fantasy File diary was a waste of taxpayers' money. I wonder how you justify that when this is information that is getting out to young people on how to protect their health."
"Because there was $120,000 spent on that Fact and Fantasy diary; that was money badly spent because it was a grotty magazine", Miller asserted.
The discussion turned to sex education. Miller said that sex education should take place in the family and at school.
Begg argued that statistics on sex education proved the family wasn't an adequate vehicle for sex education and that school programs had a long way to go. "One-third of year 10 students do not know how sexually transmitted diseases are passed on."
Miller said that he did not support censorship but wanted Fantastic Sex Facts banned from young people.
"Who has the power to ban something and who doesn't? Would you like it if your paper was banned because people didn't like it?", Begg asked Miller.
"No, the people out there have the choice if they want to buy the Sunday Telegraph or not", he replied.
"Well who has the choice over whether this publication is banned?", asked Begg.
"Certainly young people didn't; they've wanted it very much. They've bought lots and lots of copies of it and have written letters to us saying we really support what you are doing. So has the Family Planning Association, so have the STD clinics, so have the women's health clinics", she added.
"The premier and his wife didn't like it nor did the prime minister and his wife, and they are family people", Miller replied.
"The Sunday Telegraph took a stand on this as you well know, and we were backed by the premier of NSW and the prime minister of Australia. So it is a little bit reassuring that the biggest selling newspaper in Australia and the premier of NSW and the prime minister of Australia said it was bad and should be banned", he continued.
Begg responded, "I find that quite disturbing, actually, that they are prepared to ban something that is trying to get out to high school students and give them valuable information."
In reference to his campaign against Fantastic Sex Facts, Miller said "We have a moral obligation here at the Sunday Telegraph", to which Begg replied, "I think we have a moral obligation to make sure that young people are informed about what they are doing."