That is because a lot of the influential people are religious zealots, and so, if their holy book, statue, lawn ornament or cheesecake says that Gays don't deserve equal rights, and they have as much financial pull as they do vocally, then the Gays won't have their equal rights.
I usually avoid these topics as well, not for fear of discrimination, but because you won't get anywhere in the discussion in which one side is using facts, rational thinking and logic and the other side is using their ignorance (be it hatred or homophobia) and religious beliefs and quotes from religious texts and propaganda.
It is like those who are anti-abortion, and instead of using facts, they use their own assumptions, religious beliefs and pictures of aborted fetuses (as if people haven't already seen them) to debate against those who are pro-choice and using facts, logic, personal experiences and other reliable data in their argument.
Anyway, I believe that the Gays should be given the same rights afforded to Straights, including, but not limited to marriage and adoption, and there is no clear, factual or logical reason why they shouldn't. Religion shouldn't be apart of the discussion unless it affects you directly. While I am sure that it won't happen in my lifetime, I'll be glad if and when it does because I am tired of the debate already and there really are other, more pressing issues at hand.
Such as bullying, the homeless, the illegal immigration issue, (people go after the immigrants who are innocent, when they should really be going after the companies that hire them because they don't want to pay YOU) the marijuana issue and the dumbing down of society as a whole, and the financial shithole that our country is slowly crawling out of.
Cutting politician salaries, taxing the church and other religious institutions and organizations, as well as other alleged non-profit groups and their leaders, bringing factory, tech and other overseas American jobs using foreign workers (because it's cheap) back to America, so that Americans can have jobs, and require that the companies pay for the illegal immigrants to be naturalized to become Americans if they want to work, (or sent back if they don't want to be naturalized citizens) and then pay to train them, and exactly as they would American workers, so that Americans can't be undercut for jobs which would foster fair competition for jobs and legalizing marijuana and HEAVILY taxing it (which will also screw the cartels) will do a lot to help improve the economy and free up jail space for the criminals (who could then be used for cheap labor in exchange for their "3 hots and a cot" and a few other perks) that truly deserve it.
All of these issues are much more important than the issue of Gay Rights because they affect us all. So, I say that we start with giving them every right afforded to and abused by Straights, because it is the right thing to do, and then move on to the other, more important issues..
