1. Identify your chosen focus for the Paradigm Shift projects (essay and TED talk). Indicate the boundaries of your intended focus as clearly as possible. What is the story that you seek to tell? As you now envision it, how long of a time period is covered by the expected focus – several centuries, just the last decade? Remember that the story should end in the present day.

My intended focus for the Paradigm Shift projects is the perception surrounding the LGBTQ+ community in the United States from the Stonewall Riots that took place on June 28, 1969, to today.  To do this, I will examine legislation that has been passed to advance LGBTQ+ rights over the past decades, the trend of hate crime statistics, rhetoric about the LGBTQ+ community in religion, and the presence of LGBTQ+ individuals in the media.  I want to tell the story of the tremendous amount of progress that has been made to advance LGBTQ+ rights but also qualify this statement by showing more must be done to achieve equality.  Moreover, I want to highlight the important legislation and leaders of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, as well as extract lessons that could be learned from the past.

 

2. Why is this specific shift significant enough to merit your close investigation and the attention of your audiences? Why does this shift need to be explored and understood?

This shift is significant because the United States went from having homosexuality being illegal as late as the 1960s to legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states as of June 26, 2015.  This shift must be explored because there was a wide range of important people that continually fought for LGBTQ+ rights despite how it may have hurt their careers and livelihoods.  More than anything, the paradigm shift is a story of fortitude and solidarity.  I think we can learn what makes a good leader, what courage truly means, and how to tackle the next 50 years through examining the history of the LGBTQ+ movements.  As our society continues to morph through the advancement of technology, it is vital that we seek to understand the implicit effects on social behavior and perception.