A group of lesbians are preparing to speak out at a press conference at the United Nations General Assembly Session for Beijing, today.

Amidst growing concern that the UN General Assembly is backing away from past promises and achievements, the Lesbian Caucus say the mention of "sexual orientation" in conference documents has become a source of major disagreement.

Thousands of women have gathered in New York for the General Assembly session, which is reviewing how governments have moved over the last five years to implement the Platform for Action adopted at the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.

The Platform called on governments to ensure women`s equality in all areas of life, with specific recommendations on issues including education, the economy, health, power and
decision-making, and human rights.

However, the women maintain that conservative governments have attacked any attempt to extend protections to the full diversity of women.

The Platform stated that: "The human rights of women include their right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality." Yet language which would affirm that freedom is under sustained attack by conservative governments and NGOs at the UN today.

The Beijing +5 review process has mobilized lesbian and bisexual women from all regions of the world, who have joined other women in working on issues of reproductive and sexual rights and health, economic and social equality, and violence against women.