I think it's a false starter to claim that same-sex marriage doesn't have any role in changing the way that society and especially young people view homosexuality and its acceptability. It isn't just about taxes, and civil unions ARE an insult because they're the propagation of the "separate but equal" doctrine that has been foisted upon SO many minorities over time. There is no reason that we can't focus on transgender rights, homelessness, immigration issues, discrimination, etc, at the same time we demand marriage equality. It's false to pretend that somehow activism in one part of society is going to deprive another part of society of support. If people want to support all those things they will, be support what is important to them. In terms of HIV/AIDS, it is not a "gay" problem at all, it is a worldwide problem, more women than men are being infected, there is no way the fight for same-sex marriage is going to slow the battle for a cure for AIDS. As a scientist, I can tell you we will never stop researching or trying to make new discoveries in ANY field, much less one that is as important as HIV/AIDS.
