Anna Leah Sarabia
Twenty-five years ago, in 1994, a delegation of about twenty-five lesbians from Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Americas, all of whom were attending the International Lesbian and Gay Association’s (ILGA) 16th World Conference and the Spirit of Stonewall events in New York City, went to the United Nations office to request that sexuality and lesbian issues be included in the agenda of the 4th World Conference on Women, which was to be held in Beijing the following year.
We had heard from allies inside the UN that there were strong forces within who did not want to raise the word “sexuality” in the records of the conference. We were told that the host country was uncomfortable with the idea of lesbians becoming visible in such a huge gathering, especially if they con
