Former congressman Barney Frank has
predicted an end to homophobia in the United States within ten years.
The 74-year-old openly gay Frank is
currently pitching his new memoir, Frank:
A Life in Politics from the Great Society to Same-Sex Marriage.
In a wide-ranging interview with
Business
Insider, Frank was asked how retreat in two states of laws
critics argued would allow businesses the discriminate against gay
men and lesbian will impact the gay rights movement.
“To complete victory within 10 years
I believe,” Frank answered. “That is, there will be no legal
obstacle to gay and lesbian people and sadly, I have to say – even
more than with African Americans – a lack of actual prejudice. I
wish we would make as much progress on the racial side in terms of
personal feelings. I would be shocked if the Supreme Court did not
find a national right of marriage, and with that will come things
like adoption. We will still have the problem that it will be legal
to discriminate in appointment against people in many states. On the
other hand, the reaction here suggests that maybe even that's gonna
fade.”
“And I think certainly the next time
the Democrats have the House, the Presidency, and the Senate, we'll
pass a national employment bill that will protect people against
discrimination, including people who are transgender. Short of that,
I think a couple states that don't now have the law – like
Pennsylvania – will pick it up. So I think within 10 years we will
have complete legal equality and a lack of actual prejudice,” he
added.