|
Thursday, 03 April 2008 00:36 |
 What will gay life be like in the future, wonders Ryan Perdio?
There’s something about predicting the future that we seem to be fascinated with.
Recently published online, an article that first saw print in 1968 holds some surprisingly accurate forecasts of what life would be like in 2008. In ‘40 Years In The Future’, author James R Berry wrote about cashless transactions, GPS units, video calls, space tourism and even newspapers that you can read on a screen; things that may sound like common fare today, but which 40 years ago were the stuff of sci-fi fantasies.
Which makes me wonder, what will we see 40 years from now? What kind of future-fantastic things can we expect?
Well, I’ve looked into my crystal ball, jumbled my runes and divined the tea leaves at the bottom of my cup, and have come up with the following predictions for 2048.
PERSONAL FORCEFIELDS
People are now individually equipped with an invisible, impermeable barrier that protects in all senses of the word, giving a whole new meaning to safe sex!
MIXED DNA
Same-sex couples are now able to combine their individual DNA in order to produce an offspring in their likeness without the need for conventional reproductive means. Brad Pitt and Colin Farrell would surely have the most gorgeous baby in the history of mankind; Iggy Pop and Michael Jackson not so much.
HOLOGRAPHIC PERSONALS
Gone are the days of grainy, pixelated pictures that one must do neck acrobatics with in order to view properly. Personal ads of the future will all come with holographic images. Not only can potential partners be viewed head-on but now also back-to-front, upside down and, well, any which way you like. Be warned though: reports of holograms with heads attached to disproportionately-sized bodies are also on the increase.
BIO-ORGANIC GAYDAR
No longer relying on subtle cues and secret handshakes, implanted bio-organic gaydar will take the guessing game out of finding out. Not only will you know whether the person you may be interested in is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex or anything else in between; this sophisticated little implant will also let you know if they’re single, attached, in an open relationship, or just way too drunk to care!
GAY WORLD
Human society finally becomes all accepting, with prejudice and bigotry eliminated and the term ‘alternative lifestyle’ no longer heard of. Gay marriages are not only legal but common, as are gay divorces. Adoptions are open to all sexualities. Gender identity and sexuality studies become compulsory subjects in schools, resulting in youth suicide rates plummeting to zero. There are openly gay leaders in several nations and the world has even seen the instalment of the very first gay Pope. Equal rights are provided to all.
Well, perhaps these things still seem a little too fantastical even by today’s standards. I mean, who would be comfortable walking around in a forcefield all day? Or be willing to replace an implant that’s malfunctioned? I know I probably wouldn’t... but that last one sure sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?
Whatever happens, and however fascinating it may be, there’s one thing about the future that’s certain: anything is possible. Here’s hoping.
 |
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 03 April 2008 00:37 )
|
Opinion 
Subscribe to this comment's feed