Wrong At-TAG: Sexuality and #Tag Culture Mini Exhibition and Workshops 2024

Some people say that "Tags" can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, they can save time and help us quickly understand a person's traits. On the other hand, they can lead to prejudice and discrimination. How do different social groups handle tags? And how should teenagers navigate being labeled themselves?

Sponsored by Gilead Sciences, Inc., the FPAHK Sexuality Education Youth Volunteer group "Red Face No More" organized a mini exhibition called "Wrong At-TAG: Sexuality and #Tag Culture” on 8 April to 29 June 2024 at FPA Jockey Club Youth Zone Activity & Resource Centre (ARC). The exhibition included interactive installations and activities where young people could learn and exchange viewpoints about "tags."

The exhibition was divided into five sections: "What is a "label"", "#When Labels Come from... Stereotype," "#When Labels Lead to... Prejudice," "#When Labels Become... Discrimination," and "#Facing Labels...Let’s Self Tag." The exhibition aimed to help the general public understand the existence and impact of labels in a simple way. One section of the exhibition told the story of an HIV-infected child and the challenges he faced at school. Visitors’ understanding of how stereotypes and prejudices might lead to discrimination against individuals was enhanced, especially among teenagers who may unintentionally act in this way. Visitors could also reflect on their attitudes towards gender minority groups and people living with HIV/AIDS, and the influence of social labels on personal values.

Besides hosting an exhibition, 5 interesting workshops were organized and let participants to share their thoughts on  labels:

1. “Condom Making Workshop”- Through making condoms, youth participants could eliminate unfavorable attitudes about “sex" and acquire message on sexual health .
2. "Calligraphy Handwriting Class" - Writing allowed youth participants to consider how to break free from the labels that others had placed on them.
3. "Typography Workshop" – Created paintings with the theme of "self-affirmation."
4. "Being single is... ＡTram Love Journey＂– A virtual love game that let participants reflected personal attitudes and views on love, gender and labels.
5. "My Tag My Choice：J.Arie Sharing Session" – From an artist's perspective, J.Arie shared with youth participants about how to handle the effects of labelling.

The participants appreciated the workshops’ content, and some who participated in the tram activity reflected that "The activity was very innovative and allowed us to exchange values and ideas in a timely manner, a special experience indeed."

A total of 993 people visited the exhibition and participated in the workshops. 60 guided tours were arranged by the staff and youth volunteers. The exhibition and workshops, according to the participants, made them consider the impact of labelling on diverse groups, comprehend how discriminatory conduct might stem from prejudice towards others, and broaden their awareness of a variety of groups, including people living with HIV/AIDS. The participants hoped that more exhibitions on different themes related to sexuality education would take place in the future.