Here's a response to your points. They are only "counter points," and not necessarily my feelings.
Yes, it would be pretty darned difficult to prove it one way or another BEFORE the fact. Those who fear your more utopian society understand it's a lot more easy to give rights and start programs than it is to take them away after the fact. (Exception to the rule - lowering of the drinking age from 21 to 18 and then raising back to 21. I was born at "the right time" on that experiment.1) Proving that would be impossible
)
I'm not going to bite here, because you are presuming a lot with this statement.2) The burden of proof should be levied such that people don't have to prove the impossible to become equal citizens
* Are women not equal citizens because the Equal Rights Ammendment never passed?
* Are 19-year-olds not equal citizens because they cannot drink? Are older folks not equal citizens when we ask them not to drive any more?
* Mary Kay Laterno had no right to marry her boy student with whom she had 2 kids - while he was a minor - even though they both loved each other and probably now will marry. Is she not an equal citizen?
* I know this is a tired argument but... You have a right to marry a woman and have kids, just like everyone else.
Your definition of "equal" is highly relative, Ian. I empathize with you but...you are defining a different type of relationship. I have no more right to enter a same-sex marriage than you. We are equal in that way.
It *****, I know... You didn't ask to be born gay, and I didn't ask to be born without Roger Clemens' arm. Consequently we both are denied our childhood dreams.
This is an interesting philosophical argument that could go on and on and on. It isn't the slam dunk you make it out to be. Everyone is coming to grips with what it all means.
That is indeed the case, Ian. I pointed out Kinsey research that suggests individuals generally are not binary in their sexuality. His questionaires led to a classification of maleness vs. femaleness on a 7 category ordinal scale, and pointed to a spectrum of tendencies within each of the genders. You are the way you are because you fall far on the "yin" side of the scale, and cannot readily adapt as a "yang." History is repleat with examples in multiple cultures where gay and even pedophile activity was common because it was socially accepted.3) No plausible reason for an increase has yet been mentioned, unless you factor in that some people who might repress their feelings wouldn't if they didn't feel the weight of prejudice.
Here's one example, Ian. It took me all of 10 seconds to Google this up. I entered "fall of Rome morals" and Bam!, a whole list of items pop up. I could do the same for the Greek empire and probably get the same.4) Just being afraid of something isn't a good reason to legislate against it.
Here's the top-of-the-list item.
Reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire
All left Rome open to outside invaders
It's from an online World History course taught somewhere in Texas. The list of items include: decline in moral values (first on the list), public health, political corruption, unemployment, inflation, urban decay, inferior technology, and military spending. And then guess what? The student is asked to "Make a prediction about the future of the United States."
Good topic!
BTW, here's the assessment under "Moral Values"
Rome and Greece are the butt (oopsDecline in Morals and Values
Those morals and values that kept together the Roman legions and thus the empire could not be maintained towards the end of the empire. Crimes of violence made the streets of the larger cities unsafe. Even during PaxRomana there were 32,000 prostitutes in Rome. Emperors like Nero and Caligula became infamous for wasting money on lavish parties where guests ate and drank until they became ill. The most popular amusement was watching the gladiatorial combats in the Colosseum. These were attended by the poor, the rich, and frequently the emperor himself. As gladiators fought, vicious cries and curses were heard from the audience. One contest after another was staged in the course of a single day. Should the ground become too soaked with blood, it was covered over with a fresh layer of sand and the performance went on.
) of many jokes about sexual activity, no? They earned those reputations.It isn't just fear, Ian. Right or wrong, good or bad, many people have given these issues serious reflection through the ages. The bad news is that we don't have a world playground in which we can do randomized trials with various political and cultural tweaks. The good news is that we have generations of free-running experiments that we can observe and learn from.
In our world experiment, many things have been tried, and many civilizations have failed. But we don't have enough examples of all possible combinations to know everything. So we can only use data and intuition to surmise what would happen if...
And intelligent people will disagree.
- Bill
To use his own words, "Eeewwww!!!" 
