ThirtyyearsagovirtuallynoonewhowashomosexualinAustraliawasopenaboutit.Everyonewentalongwiththepretence.Tothisday，manypeople，includingsomeinhighpositions，maintainthedenial.Intruth，theyaresometimesencouragedtodosobyhomophobesandfanatics，someoftheminhighoffice.Butgraduallytheoldpackofcardshasbeguntocollapse.Wearenowwitnessingtheconsequencesofthischange.Ithasnotyetbeenfullyaccomplished.Lawsstillexistthatdiscriminateagainstsexualminoritiesonthegroundsofsexualorientation.ButtheoldcriminallawshavebeensweptawaythroughoutAustralia.Newprotectionsagainstdiscriminationhavebeenintroduced.Andmostimportantofall，increasingnumbersofhomosexualcitizensarethrowingoffthepretenceandseeking，ordemanding，acceptancebytheirfellowcitizens-oftheirequality，humandignity，andself-respect.
Reasonsforchange：Whyhasthischangeinrespectofsexualorientationcomeaboutatthispointinhistory？WhydoesithappenthattheNetherlands，Belgium，Massachusetts，Spain，Canada，andSouthAfricahavemovedtowardsequality，forexample，inmarriagerightsforhomosexualcitizens？Whyhavemanyothercountriesenactedlawsprovidingforcivilunionsbetweensame-sexpartnersenjoyingofficialrecognition？Whyhavesomanylandsinsuchashorttimeofhumanhistoryrepealedcriminallawspunishingsexualactsbetweenconsentingadultsinprivate？Andwhyhavecourtsinseveralcountriesstrucksuchlawsdownasbreachingfundamentalconstitutionalnorms？Whyhavecommunitiesofsexualminoritiessprungupinevenmorelands，withcelebrationofdiversity，ofsharedeconomicinterests，ofpublicationsandcivilsocietyorganisationstoreinforcetheincreasingnumberofpeoplewhoacknowledgesexualfeelingstowardsmembersoftheirownsexandrefuseanylongertobeashamedofthatfact，whichisafactnaturaltothem？