You don't have to acknowledge them. I believe you referred to having gay friends in the <I>past</I> tense, didn't you?
But why <I>should</I> God forbid? He didn't forbid the legalization of remarriage after divorce. He didn't forbid the legalization of gay sex. For that matter, he didn't forbid the legalization of gay marriage, in a number of other countries.
One of my best friends is Jewish. He follows more commandments than I thought existed. I was suprised when he didn't have a problem when he found out I was gay... and <I>he</I> was suprised that one of my other best friends, a Christian, <I>did.</I>
But <I>you're</I> not a Christian, he said.
I'm not. And I'm not Jewish, either. His rules aren't my rules. Your rules aren't my rules. The difference is, he doesn't think I should be following his. He doesn't think gay marriage needs to be illegal, just because it isn't valid in Judaism.
I can only assume God doesn't, either... or maybe God just isn't interested in Canada.