Then you find out that the other person believes my non-Christian self should have to live in a theocracy and my gay friends are to be treated as less than fully human.

I'm not worried so much about people of different opinions. Opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one and sometimes they stink. But what to do with the people trying to put those into action and take rights and freedoms away from others?

How am I supposed to just smile and respect that? Aren't I just standing by and letting those with the least power face oppression alone?