One Can Only Dream: Political Predictions For The Next Decade

While surfing through a never-ending list of RSS feeds for captivating news headlines and stories, I came across an interestingly written blog post on Change.org and couldn’t help but take a peek.

The headline, “Bold Gay Predictions for The Next Decade,” was definitely an attention grabber, but the article most certainly didn’t disappoint.

In the face of staunch anti-gay protesters and legislators who actually fight to uphold exclusive and discriminatory laws, it’s easy to throw our hands up in frustration and settle for the latest electronic distraction instead.

But, what would the world be like if …

• The first great victory of the next decade is the signing of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
• The removal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is successfully attached to the 2011 Defense Authorization Bill, thus criminalizing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation within our military forces
• The year 2012 sees California, New York, and Maine launch successful marriage equality campaigns, and all three states legalize gay marriage
• Between 2014 and 2015, we see the election of the first openly gay governor when David Cicilline is elected Governor of Rhode Island. In addition, we see Oregon, Washington, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin all enact laws allowing gay marriage
• Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA) wins a heated battle to succeed Barack Obama as President in 2016.

These were just a few of the political predictions offered. I can honestly say that a little hope is just what the doctor ordered. Most Americans, myself included, couldn’t imagine our country embracing such a wealth of gender, ethnic, and racial diversity; and certainly not at an executive or high-end political level. Most Americans are still trapped within the confines of arbitrary traditional societal roles, and a “black or white” dichotomized view of life in spite of several glaring examples of how incomplete such a perspective can be.

What do you imagine the world will look like in the next ten years?

Be sure to read the article in full at Change.org