DAvidJS you said some valuable things. BUT......

Homosexual behavior 'involves' sexual acts, and with the same gender.

Incest is 'SIMPLY' an orientation towards one's own children. No more immoral or moral than the above.. BY YOUR LOGIC.

Intercourse with willing sheep..... is JUST an orientation according to your reasoning......

I hope you are getting it by now. Don't talk to us about closed mindedness.. we simply are ORIENTED toward some very basic moral values.
Actually that's not quite right.. we recognize that withOUT such moral values as having divine authority , it doesn't really matter what you consider your 'orientation' to be towards.. even a huge rock.. the point is...it's relative and neither moral nor immoral.

SO... in the same way that a person who by their 'moral relativistic' value system who is attracted to children must remain CELIBATE in that aspect of their desires.. and just as someone who takes a liking to your dog must remain celibate.. SO... must those craving their own gender in a sexual manner.

None of us would take issue with a normal human/brotherly/ love for ones own gender.. hugging.. loving.. from the very depths... but only in the context of sexual attraction to the appropriate gender for yourself.. i.e. OPPosite.

If homosexuals are so 'loving' then they should realize that real love is of the heart...not the penis. So.. love you own gender.. love them dearly.. but dont lust for or have sex with them.

David,
"Morality or immorality is a matter of opinion at the end of day (excuse cliche)"

You don't believe that David, otherwise you wouldn't be seeking to force your own views of right and wrong on others (Why bother trying to use moral words at all?). If morality really was just a matter of opinion, then what you have been doing is kind of like arguing that people who like vanilla icecream are bad because you don't like vanilla icecream. It is nonsensical. Complaining about 'close-minded'ness is also a waste. You seem to be saying that being close-minded is bad, but if morality is just an opinion, why should your opinion matter to anyone else? What you are really saying is that you want your opinion of morality to be more important than anyone elses.

Don't get me wrong. I will defend your right to argue that your ideas of right and wrong are correct, but trying to pretend that morality is just a matter of opinion to support your case is irrational clap trap.

As for your equating same sex attraction to left-handedness. That is also rubbish. Any geneticist will tell you the same. Sexual orientation is not genetically determined. Deal with it.

Grey, if one in 12 rams is exclusively interested in mounting other rams, do you suggest they're making a lifestyle choice? Not every geneticist will tell you homosexuality isn't genetically determined. Not by a long way. Try this article http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2005/08/14/what_makes_people_gay/?page=full

Homosexuality is present in all species, including homo sapiens. Within homo sapiens, homosexuality is and has been present in all societies and cultures throughout their histories. It has also been practised by members of all religions - albeit clandestinely in some cases - since their inception.

Deal with it.

I'm all for people taking up the fight against fundamentalist oppression, but it smacks of selfishness you see people taking it up only when their own camp becomes a victim of it. The case of the Iranian teenagers is an example of this, isn't it enough to condemn the practice of sharia law on the grounds that it permits husbands to smack their wives into line, or that smearing Allah could see you stoned to death, that christians are considered infidels?

"Will we see non-gay Australians... particularly Australians like John Howard... focus on the homophobia of Islamic terrorists and their apologists?"

Will we see gays speak up against fundamentalist oppression even if gays are not necessarily victims of it? Even if it means perhaps distancing themselves from the traditional leftist style leaning? I'm not holding my breath.

The author makes an interesting point - I'd never thought about Islamic fundamentalists from an anti-gay perspective before. (Going off on a tangent here) This sort of thing has gotten me thinking recently - in our multicultural society is it ok to criticise "other" people's beliefs and customs and what not when more and more of these "other" people are becoming "our" people? Previously we haven't really had to deal with it before. The Muslims are over there on the other side of the world, therefore we don't have to bother debating it, and I guess it was seen as a bit of a cheap shot to make comments about other people's cultures when they're all the way over there. But now (as was mentioned in that 60 minutes report the author mentioned) Muslims are immigrating to the West like never before in history. As more and more Muslims (and people from other cultures) are becoming part of our society, I'm starting to think (as a lefty progressive type) that it should be ok to criticise Islamic bigotry, just as we criticise Christian, extreme political (etc) bigotry.