Livre d'Or

I don't think being opposed to all marriages is homophobic or anti-gay. Being opposed only to same-sex marriages is. I don't see a large movement to replace, for example, U.S. state laws that say marriage is restricted to other-sex couples with laws saying "this state does not recognize marriage, at all, by anyone." They aren't insisting that same-sex couples, even if they have been legally married for ages, make wills and create medical powers of attorney if they don't want their assets going to their parents or their siblings making their decisions if they're incapacitated. There are good arguments for making arrangements other than marriage: I don't see any good arguments for saying that marriage is such a dubious institution that only 90% of couples should have access to it. (This is, I think, more or less what eumelia is saying.)

Also, at some point I don't care whether someone who is advocating policies that are actively, specifically, and deliberately oppressive to non-heterosexuals is homophobic. They can have all the gay friends they like, if those people find them to be good friends otherwise, but they are still advocating policies that would harm us.

Yes, balancing loyalty to a friend with loyalty to principles is tricky. One thing I'm fairly sure of here is that you're right, "he's my friend and therefore can't be that bad a person" would be unhelpful even if you were sure it was true. Also that just about everyone, regardless of their opinions, has some friends; I don't believe in black hats and white hats and people who are always or never wrong. The questions are Is he wrong about this? (yes) and What should Mozilla be doing? Not Is Gerd a bad person? or How can we persuade Gerd he is wrong about this issue?