Dymocks joined the Big W to place the controversial ‘Welcome to Sex’ book in the children’s section
Book slams ‘gender-owners’ and ‘vagina-owners’ stores for stocking children’s section Warning: Graphic Content
Major Australian bookshop chain Dymocks has followed Big W in selling a controversial sex book in the children’s section both online and in stores.
The book, by ABC presenter Yumi Stynes and Teen magazine advice columnist Dr Melissa Kang, covers sexual topics with illustrations of masturbation, gender curiosity, LGBTQI issues, anal sex, ‘scissors’ and more.
‘Welcome to Sex: Your No-Silly-Questions Guide to Sex, Pleasure and Getting It Out’, is aimed at children aged eight and over, but has had a backlash from parents who say it is too graphic.
Law lecturer Rachel Wong tweeted that ‘For those trying (unsuccessfully) to defend “Welcome to Sex”, aka a graphic sex guide for kids, it’s been placed in the adult/parenting section of bookstores/sections.
‘Not this one at @Dymocksbooks. They also sell it in the children’s section of their website,’ he said.
The backlash against the book – which refers to men as ‘penis-owners’ and women as ‘vagina-owners’ – began with how discount retailer Big W sold it.
Major Australian bookstore chain Dymocks has come under fire for selling a controversial sex book co-written by ABC presenter Yumi Stynes (pictured) in its children’s section.
Conservative podcaster Chris Primode said in an Instagram video, ‘How can anyone think they aren’t coming after kids when they see these kinds of books for public sale at the Big W.
Another angry social media user wrote: ‘Really? Should we be teaching 11-year-olds different sexual positions? This book is a big number from me.’
A third added: ‘I sent a protest letter to Big W about the porn book Welcome to Sex. It is very graphic. We should all make an effort to protest this stuff to children.’
But others jumped to the writers’ defense, calling the reaction a ‘moral panic’.
‘Right wing kooks/religious nuts are trying to censor these books. Typical anti-queer, anti-feminist reasons,’ wrote one.
Law lecturer Rachel Wong tweeted (pictured) how the book was selling on Dymox
The book is on sale in the children’s section of Dymox’s website (pictured) as well as in stores
Another parent said: ‘Can’t wait to buy it. Your period book took a lot of my 10 year old daughter’s (and my!) fears away. Forever grateful.’
On the eve of the book’s release, Stines told the website Mamamia that she hoped the work would help parents talk openly with their children about sex.
the poll
Do you think this book is suitable for children?
‘I think a lot of parents have inherited shame from their own parents and from our culture and society,’ she said.
‘I think it’s partly about embarrassing body fluids, but parents are also worried about saying the wrong thing.
‘Worried about planting an idea in their mind that wasn’t there before and then making things worse!’
Stines adds that ‘a lot of the difficulty parents have with these types of chats is just not knowing what to say and how to say it.
‘It’s a very underdeveloped muscle that most of us have.’
He hopes the book will be a ‘trusted resource’ that will stop parents stumbling into ‘saying the wrong thing or something informed by sexism or bad science’.
Oral sex is also mentioned in the book with the position ’69’
The book contains candid descriptions of sexual acts such as ‘scissors’ illustrated with accompanying cartoons
Stines said some 12-year-olds were mature and ‘quite sophisticated’ and others were ‘very childish’ and parents had to adjust their conversations depending on the child.
She suggests parents use news stories or television shows as a hook to talk about sex in general family chats.
‘Once they (kids) know it’s safe to talk to you about sex, and you won’t flip out, they can come back to the conversation and they’ll love having the space to ask you these questions. ,’ she said.
Daily Mail Australia contacted both Dymocks and Big W with a series of questions about how they are stocking and displaying the book.