Political hot topic

This is one where I have a hard time. On the conservative/orthodox side, I don't know how you can get around that the Bible disallows homosexuality. Granted, Jesus Himself never mentioned it, but the Apostle Paul was pretty clear and the Old Testament couldn't oppose it more. On the liberal/progressive side, Jesus new commandment was to "love one another," and that in Loving God and loving your neighbor, you're fulfilling all of the Law and the prophets. And as many a Lutheran theology professor might exhort, it is best to balance Law and Gospel, but if you're going to fault, it is better to fault on the side of the Gospel. Most gay people don't consider it a lifestyle choice, like smoking or not smoking or driving an gas guzzling SUV or driving a hybrid. Generally they feel no more control over it than someone who is Black or Asian or Hispanic. Now, if you get real theologically liberal and interpret Paul as preaching against giving in to lust and excess, you could be patient with monogamous, gays who aren't excessively demonstrative in public, but most of my Lutheran friends don't like that kind of historical-critical literary analysis of Scripture. Fine, let's say you're one who thinks that when the Bible says don't it means don't- then let's also remember that this is an imperfect, sinful world. Its harder to quit smoking than it is to quit heroin, and alcoholism may start with a series of bad choices, but it is still an almost inescapable disease. So, lets suppose even for a second in some perfectly black and white moralistic world, that all homosexuals very deliberately and consciously CHOOSE to be socially deviant, perverted and sinful... does that mean that we should beat and berate people who chew tobacco, people like me who are overweight? People who commit heterosexual adultery? People who take the Lord's name in vain? Should we line all of them up and shoot them? Or exile them all to an island away from the "good" people? The Bible says that practitioners of witchcraft and divination should be executed. Read a horoscope lately? You qualify, you sinner! God hates you and you deserve to die! Doesn't feel good does it?
I'm not advocating homosexuality and I'm still "traditional" enough to think it's a bad idea to teach kids that it is a viable, perfectly acceptable and even desirable "alternative lifestyle,"but I certainly think that as Christians, we need to demonstrate Christ's unconditional love and acceptance of all people, including tax collectors and prostitutes. I think that signs that say "God hates fags," is as blasphemous as burning a cross or bombing a Black church. Jesus dies for gays and lesbians too. I believe we need to stop chasing them out of His kingdom and away from His love and grace.