A sex education book aimed at pre-teens has topped Amazon’s best-seller list and sold out in many bookstores following widespread media coverage following outrage from conservative quarters.
As reported on B&T onTuesday, the book, titled Welcome to Sex: Your no-silly-questions guide to sexuality, pleasure and figuring it out, managed to give its publisher untold media coverage after Big W shoppers took to social media to complain about the content.
Yumi Stynes & Dr Melissa Kang
The book, penned by media personality Yumi Stynes and former ‘Dolly Doctor’ Dr Melissa Kang, is aimed at early teens and included such topics and accompanying illustrations on such subjects such as oral sex, fingering, anal sex, hand jobs, porn, the ’69’ position, lesbian scissoring, sexuality and gender identity.
The book was first called out by Rachael Wong, chief executive of Women’s Forum Australia. Wong said on a Twitter post: “Why is Big W selling this GRAPHIC SEX GUIDE FOR KIDS in Aus which includes how-tos for anal/oral sex, masturbation & heavily pushes gender ideology?”
Despite being stocked in a number of bookstores and easily available online, Big W copped the brunt of angry customer outrage. So much so in fact, the Woolworths-owned retailer was forced to remove the book – which retails for $16 – from sale in-store and only sell it online after staff had allegedly been abused by irate customers.
Such has been the blanket coverage in recent days, Stynes claims she’s even had journalists from The Daily Mail camped outside the front of her house.
Stynes telling today’s Sydney Morning Herald: “We really have a lot of credentials,” she said. “We’ve got an army of professors, who fact-checked and contributed to the book. So for people to try and shame us or make us feel like we haven’t done the work, it’s just really misguided. It does make me think that they’re taking a leaf out of the book of Trumpism and fear mongering there.”
The book is the fourth in a series by Stynes and Dr Kang that includes Welcome to Your Period, Welcome to Your Boobs and Welcome to Consent.
According to the SMH, following the media frenzy earlier in the week, Welcome to Sex has not only sold out on Amazon, it’s also the biggest seller under book retailer Dymocks’ parenting category.
The masthead also quoted co-owner of book store Avid Reader, Fiona Stager, who said Welcome to Sex had now sold out in her Brisbane outlet following the mass media interest.
“People are interested in the book, they want to see it for themselves. But I think there’s also a level of support for the authors,” Stager told the SMH. “It’s in solidarity that they’re buying the book.”
It follows on from Big W’s website getting smashed by parents angry over the sale of the book.
One parent posted: “Really? We need to teach 11-year-olds different sex positions? This book is a big no from me.”
Another said: “I have sent a protest letter to Big W about the porn book Welcome to Sex. It is extremely graphic. We should all make the effort to protest this stuff to children.”
However, other parents defended the book and the sometimes tricky task of educating kids about sex.
“Right wing cookers/religious nuts are trying to censor these books. Usual anti-queer, anti-feminist reasons,” penned one fan.
Another added: “Can’t wait to purchase this. Your period book took away the fear for my 10-year-old daughter (and me!) so much. Forever grateful.”
Following its decision to remove the book from sale in-store, a Big W spokesperson said: “Big W will continue to sell the parenting book ‘Welcome to Sex’ as part of our parenting range.
“We know there has been a wide range of views about the book, however, it’s disappointing that there have been multiple incidents of abuse directed at our store team members in the past 24 hours.
“To keep our team and customers safe, the book will now only be available online.”
