（2）Themassmediaandthepowerfulinfluenceoffilms，television，radioandnowtheInternet，bringknowledgeaboutsexualmatters，inunprecedenteddetailandvariety，tovirtuallyeverycorneroftheworld.Becauseofthehumanfascinationwithsexandthehugemarketthatservesthisfascination，knowledgeofthevarietyofhumansexualinclinationshasnowbecomewidespread.Thisknowledgehasunderminedthefoundationofreligiousandotherteachingsthatsoughttoportrayminorityhumansexualexpressionassomethingdeliberatelyandwickedlychosentodefy“theorderofnature”.Increasingly，wenowknowof，andthereforeincreasinglyaccept，thatnaturemanifestsitselfinsexualmattersinavarietyofforms，renderingsuchcondemnationslesscommonandlessacceptabletogrowingnumbersofpeople.Inincreasingfamiliarityandknowledge，lietheseedsofgrowingacceptance；
（3）InmanycountriesofEuropeandAustralasia，thedeclineofthepowerandinfluenceoforganisedreligion，whichhasoftenbeenintheforefrontofstigmatisationofsexualminorities，hasresultedinquestioningoftheteachingsbelittlingofsuchminoritiesandtheirlives.Thegrowthofreligiousscepticisminmostwesternsocietieshasled，atleasttosomedegree，toaconsequentfallingawayofthepowerofreligiousteachingthathasoftenbeen（andsometimesstillis）asourceofthehatredagainstandoppressionofhomosexualminorities.Ironically，inmanydevelopingcountries（andintheUnitedStatesofAmerica）thegrowthofreligiousfundamentalismhasmovedinacontrarydirection.Thus，whereasgreatprogresshasbeenmadeintheCouncilofEurope，inAustralasiaandelsewhere，intheprotectionofthelegalrightsofsexualminorities，inAfrica，partsofAsia，sectionsofLatinAmericaandtheUnitedStates，anti-gaypropaganda，frequentlypropoundedbyconservativereligiousleaders，hasledtoanincreaseinviolence，inequality，andstigmatizationattheverytimewhenelsewherethingswereimproving；
（4）Thegeneralglobaladvanceofrespectforindividualhumanrights，andofappreciationoftheimportanceofupholdingthefundamentalhumandignityoftheindividual，hasbeenaresultoftirelessworkintheUnitedNationssince1945.Theadoptionofimportantinternationalhumanrightstreaties；theratificationofmanyofthembydiversecountries，includingChina；thegrowthofglobalscrutinyofhumanrightsandfundamentalfreedoms；andthecoverageofsuchissuesintheworldmediastimulateanexpectationofimprovementsintheconditionsofhumanfreedom.Whilstsignificantdebatescontinueinmanycountriesconcerningthebalancebetweenrightsandduties，theindividualandthecommunity，economicprogressandpersonalfreedoms，largeadvanceshaveundoubtedlybeenmadeinexpectationsofindividualself-expression，includingasbetweenadultsinmattersofsexuality.Inasense，economicprogressflourishesbestincreativesocieties.Theinevitablecounterparttoeconomicprogressisademandforprogressinthefieldofideasandintherespectforrightsandthewillingnesstosubmittoco-equalduties；
（5）Againstthebackgroundofthesechanges，universitiesandinstitutesoflearningthroughouttheworld，includinginChina，havebegunstudyingthegenetic，hormonalandsocietalfeaturesofsexualvariationinhumanbeingsandinotherspecies.Nolongerarethesethesubjectsofsecrecyanddenial.Theyarealegitimatefocusofintellectualcuriosity，researchanddiscovery.ThisworkshopinShanghaiisanillustrationofthegrowingscientificandempiricalscrutinyofsexualityininstitutionsofhighlearninginallpartsoftheworld.Ifitispartofourhumanity（indeedofnaturemoregenerally）itis，asDr.Kinseydeclared，thepropersubjectofstudy，researchandrevelation.Itisnotalientothehumanspecies-itisanaspectofit；
（6）Partiallyinconsequenceoftheforegoing，issuesofsexualityarenowmoreopenlypresentedinthemedia.Theyareportrayedanddiscussedandincreasinglyinathoughtful，reflectiveandinformativeway-notjustthroughstereotypesofhatred.Filmswhichexaminehumanfeelingsbetweensame-sexcoupleshavebecomepartofthepopularculture，atleastinadvancedWesterncountries.Thecurrentprize-winningfilmBrokebackMountainisanillustration.However，therearemanysuchinstances.Theyexistinallpartsoftheplanet.Theveilthathashithertocoveredthisaspectofhumanexistencehasbeengentlyliftedinrecentdecadesuntilnow，inmanylands，ithasbeencastaside.InAustralia，inthelate1960s，oneofthemosteffectivevehiclesforchangingsocialattitudestowardshomosexualswasatelevisionsoap-operaNumber96.ItportrayedtheroutineordinarinessofthelifeofagaymanviewedinthesettingoftheAustraliansocietyhelivedin.Nolongerwashedemonisedandpresentedasperverted，dirty，anobjectofridiculeorfear.Inmyowncase，myrelationshipwithJohan，mypartnerofthirty-sevenyears，isprofoundlyordinary.Thefactthatpeopleinallwalksoflife，whoaremembersofsexualminorities，arenowcomingoutoftheshadowsofthepasthelpsyoungpeople，discoveringtodayabouttheirsexuality，todothesame：tobeopenandcontemptuousofthedemandforpretenceabouttheirhumanreality.Thefearsandstigmasofearliergenerationsarethusgivingwaytothelightofscience，knowledge，andtruth.Therearesomewhowouldwishtopushthegeniebackintothebottleandtoreversethisprocess.Butscientificresearch，andhumanknowledgethatisitsproduct，canrarelybeputintoreverse.
Butthereisonefurtherreasonforchangethathascontributedanelementofurgencyinadaptingcontemporaryattitudestothevarietyofhumansexuality.IrefertotheadventoftheHIV/AIDSpandemic.Infactitpresentsaseparatetopic.Yetitisrelatedtosexualityandsocannotbeignored.Thisbringsmetothelastpartofmycontribution.
THEURGENCYOFHIV/AIDS
