Gay rights, the new health care?

With the health care debate simmering down it appears that gay rights may be taking the forefront of legislators minds.  Most recently, the two top officials of Defense have announced their support of repealing the "don't ask don't tell" law.  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Andrew Mullen, announced that he finds the "don't ask don't tell law" completely unfair and rather offensive.  Many top officials believe that the act didn't make any sense in the first place and that performance in the military is not any different among gays and nongays.  Senator McCain says he definitely does not want the law repealed, claiming it will be a complete and total disruption in the military's structure which can not be afforded during two wars.  

This is ridiculous, and utter discrimination.  If we are to be a truly "fair" country, I don't see why gay rights would be exempt from the law.  Just like African Americans attained equal rights, and race/gender can not be used to discriminate, gays should not be persecuted.  How is a different sexual orientation any different from a different gender?  Many say that being gay goes against the Bible, and this is why they oppose it.  But there were slaves in the Bible too, does that mean that we should all have slaves too?  No, especially because this claim is made based on a religious belief, when the Church and State are supposed to be separate from each other.  Choosing to discriminate against gays should be as much viewed as a hate crime as one against a person of a minority race.  America, it seems, is a country of hypocrites; we go all over the world promoting democracy and equality when we don't even have it secured at home.

Links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/us/politics/03military.html?ref=politics

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Pentagon+moves+tell/2513655/story.html