My opinion is a not mainstream left or right....I do not see one's gender as a religious issue. As a nursing student, I learned and accepted that there are 2 genders, male & female. As with other types of birth anomalies, people can be born with ambiguous genitalia, hormone deficiencies, gender defects of all types, both mental & physical. Although it seems non-PC to label this subject as nothing more than a birth anomaly, it's simply a biological hiccup. As such, I see no need to make homosexual issues political, or any other birth defect political for that matter, other than to erase any form of discrimination for anyone who is labeled in our society as different. Spiritually, I feel we are all God's children, and no one group over any other has cornered the market on His love.

Having said that, I honestly feel the word "marriage" has always been equated with the traditional union between a man and a woman, so I support "civil union" for homosexuals, with every legal benefit accorded to such a union.

I am appalled at what history and society have made of people who are different in ANY way. Human beings are unique, each in their own way. We should celebrate that uniqueness and foster inclusiveness in the family of man.