Gay rights is not something most of us think about - because most of us happen to have been born straight.

You can argue that it's a different world now than the one when Matthew Shepard was killed, but there is a subtle difference between tolerance and acceptance. It's the distance between moving into the cul-de-sac and having your next door neighbor trust you to keep an eye on her preschool daughter for a few minutes while she runs out to the post office. It's the chasm between being invited to a colleague's wedding with your same-sex partner and being able to slow-dance without the other guests whispering.

Edward: "Wait--you were trying to hit on me?"
Susan: "Damn straight."
Edward: "The thing is, I'm not. Straight, I mean.

I'm not a gay rights activist.

Gay rights are human rights.

It may be that John and others didn't see this case as a gay-rights case.