Andrew Tobias wrote the first software package - "Managing Your Money" - that I ever used to track my investments. In addition to MYM working wonderfully, Andrew's writing is infused with humor and wit.
You might think that, being a prolific financial writer and investment counselor, that Andrew is a staunch conservative. But, if you did think that, you'd be wrong. Andrew serves as the treasurer of the Democratic Party, and thus, as you can well imagine, views much of the world in a very liberal light.
Name a dozen issues; odds are good that Andy and I are on opposite sides of the debate. Nevertheless, on a few topics, we do see eye to eye. Gay rights would be one of them. Both Andy and I believe that one's sexual orientation is essentially an accident of birth. As such, people should not be penalized nor rewarded for something that is part of who you are, like your hair color or height.
This week, Andy blogged about a bill before Congress that would have added sexual orientation and gender identification to so-called "hate crimes" protections. Andy thought that they should have been added; the votes were there to pass it.
Now, if I thought that the concept of "hate crimes" was a good one, I might be happy to add sexual orientation and gender identification to the qualifiers. Committing a crime against someone because they are gay - or black, or white, or a Jew, or a Moslem makes utterly no sense to me.