Will our community grow more united or more deeply divided?
Who will be the next president?
And who will Britney Spears marry next?
We asked a diverse group of gay Atlantans to gaze into their crystal balls and predict what lies ahead in 2008 — from politics to nightlife, both serious and sarcastic.
State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates)
Drenner (File photo) I think:
• The Democrats will take over the White House and I will win my fifth term as a state representative.
• The Republicans will continue in Georgia to control all three branches of government and we will fight an anti-gay piece of legislation in the General Assembly this session.
I hope:
• We will elect an openly gay person in addition to me and implement serious efforts towards electing a “fair majority” in the Georgia General Assembly.
My New Year’s resolution:
• To avoid getting hit by another MARTA bus!
Baton Bob, street personality
BATON BOB (File photo)
I think:
• The upcoming presidential election will be of vast historical significance for all of us, because for the first time in our nation’s history there is a great possibility that this country could have its first female or black president.
• The influx of all the new construction in the Midtown area will continue to disrupt the traffic flow for all of us in the neighborhood.
I hope:
• The price point for gas and food will decline.
• The new president will create a new cabinet post in his or her administration for an Ambassador of Good Will & Joy for all citizens in this country.
My New Year’s resolution:
• To maintain a good sense of humor and peace of mind with a balance of good physical health.
Ronald Moore, Georgia Equality Political Board chair
MOORE (File photo)
I think:
• A woman or an African American will be elected president which will create a generation of little girls or children of color who can believe that they can become president of the United States of America.
• GLBT Midtown residents will be placed on the endangered species list.
I hope:
• GLBT Georgians will realize that we can influence the Georgia legislature if we form a statewide community
.
• Homophobia among people of color and racism among GLBT people will be viewed as absurd.
My New Year’s resolution:
• To remember that everyday above ground is a good day.
Tracy Elliott, AID Atlanta executive director
ELLIOTT (Photo courtesy Elliott)
I think:
• There will be further cuts in federal funds to Georgia to care for people infected with HIV, presenting significant challenges to the excellent group of organizations who share that mission.
• The release of new figures from the Centers for Disease Control will confirm an upsurge of new HIV infections in the gay community and an under-reporting of the HIV/AIDS prevalence rates of the past several years.
I hope:
• A cure for AIDS will be found (and that I can then find a new job).
• The GLBT community will achieve a fully-inclusive ENDA, the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and full marriage equality.
My New Year’s resolution:
• To work as hard as I must to ensure that AID Atlanta has the resources to serve every HIV-positive and -affected person who turns to us for help and to reach into every segment of the Atlanta metro community with effective HIV prevention programs.
Deepali Gokhale, Queer Progressive Agenda founder
(Photo courtesy Gokhale)(Photo courtesy Gokhale) I think:
• There will be an end to the Bush Regime.
• New challenges will face the U.S. empire.
I hope for:
• Peace and a rapidly growing human rights movement in the U.S.
My New Year’s resolution:
• Inner peace and liberation!
Alexandria Martin, drag queen and roller skater extraordinaire
ALEXANDRIA MARTIN (Photo by Bo Shell)
I think:
• Bill Clinton will become the first man to be First Lady.
• Britney Spears will make another attempt at a comeback and maybe even marry Michael Jackson.
I hope:
• We end war, solve the health care issues, and return to the days of “make love, not war.”
• Health, wealth, and happiness for everyone.
My New Year’s resolution:
• To maintain my lovely petite figure by eating at the finest drive-thrus on Boulevard and Ponce.
Doraville City Councilmember Brian Bates (Georgia’s only openly gay Republican elected official)
BATES (Photo courtesy Bates)
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