（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；