Christian Boes is no stranger to the birds and the bees, though he never expected the backlash he has had from a promotional offering at his Ourimbah nursery where he is giving away the latest sex education book for young people by Dr Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes called Welcome to Sex.
The promotional offering and an advertisement about it in Coast Community News have drawn the ire of campaigners who have targeted the publication across the nation.
Campaigners have successfully managed to have the book withdrawn from sale at Big W stores nationwide after staff were reportedly being harassed by the anti-sex-education activists.
Boes moved to Australia in the 1980s and later bought and developed the Big Flower Nursery at Ourimbah as part of his retirement plan.
Despite his advanced age, Boes maintains an active role in the business, getting around the sprawling site on an electric wheelchair most days of the week.
“I come from Germany and we had proper sex education in schools and in films and everywhere,” he said.
“Here in Australia it is not so good, so I decided to do something about it.
“I think it is the British prudish nature, though Queen Victoria had nine children.
“After watching a TV debate on Q&A involving the book, I decided to order several hundred of them and give them away to customers who spent more than $160.
“I don’t understand why some people are so against sex.”
Boes decided to advertise his offering in Coast Community News to promote the special, but as soon as it was printed complaints began to roll in from a well-organised group of people.
Boes said he and the staff had received numerous calls complaining about the promotion, alleging it was inappropriate for him to be promoting the sex education book to the public.
Coast Community News has also received emails and calls, asking management to pull the advertisement from the weekly paper.
One complainant said: “I know the owner is unaware that this book is a grooming book and is educating children as young as eight”.
The book is published by Australian-based Hardie Grant in Victoria and is authored by Dr Kang and her associate Yumi Stynes, who is a prominent radio broadcaster and podcaster.
It is the latest of four books the pair have co-authored, the others being Welcome to Your Period, Welcome to Your Boobs and Welcome to Consent, which have been best-sellers across the teenage genre of literature.
The book contains no photographs but rather cartoon-like illustrations by Jenny Latham.
David Abrahams