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(NEW YORK -- C-FAM) Claiming that "the tide has turned" in favor of homosexual rights at international institutions, University of British Columbia professor Douglas Sanders' recent paper on "Sexual Orientation in International Law" published by the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) includes a detailed history on how homosexual rights have advanced in Europe and how the European example could be followed at the United Nations.

Sanders, the first openly gay individual to address the UN and deliver a speech on homosexual issues, concedes that "sexual orientation" and "gender identity are not mentioned in any of existing international human rights instruments" but that "through invoking provisions on personal privacy and general provisions on equality," homosexuals have been able to gain some recognition in the international human rights arena. Many Member States of the UN would disagree with Sanders analysis. The European Union is another story, though.