Although it is nowhere near as common as our culture would like us to think, it is an unfortunate fact that homophobia does occur within the Church today. It is rare enough that you can probably count the number of significant homophobic groups on one hand, but it is common enough that almost every gay person has experienced at least one homophobic Christian. But this sorry state of affairs needs to change.
Homosexuality is a sin. We cannot get around that. The Bible makes it clear that it is a sin, and that those who commit it have fallen short of God's glory and are headed to Hell. The problem? That's what it says about all sin. That includes the "small" sins we tend to overlook. My fellow Christian men, have you ever looked at a woman with lust? Bad news: Matthew 5:28 says that's adultery. And guess what? 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, the very same passage that says homosexuals won't inherit the kingdom of God, also says adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Have any of you had sexual relationships before marrying the person you had sex with? Fornicators are on the same list.
Have any of you ever coveted (desired that to which you have no legitimate claim)? If you've ever felt jealous for that which is not yours, you are on that list.
Have you ever stolen anything? That can include money from your parent's purse, or sweets from your sibling's Halloween bucket. You're on that list.
If God hates gay people, God hates you. You may not be gay yourself. You may not even have gay friends. But you are a sinner, and to deny this fact, according to John, is proof that the truth is not in you, and you are even calling God a liar (1 John 1:8-10). In reality, there is nothing special about homosexuality. Just as it's not a special sin in that it's the one thing we get to say maybe God made a mistake on, it's also not a special sin in that He cannot forgive it.
When the Bible speaks of salvation, there is no small print that says "unless you're gay". When the Bible speaks of God's love, not once are homosexuals mentioned as an exception. When you rebuke a gay believer, you are not to do so with any more anger than when you rebuke an adulterous believer. When you spread the Gospel, you are not to pass over gay unbelievers. When you love your neighbor, you don't get to avoid loving your gay neighbors. My fellow Christians, God loves gays. And if you claim to be His follower, you must love them too, and you absolutely do not have the option to hate them. Because if you do, 1 John 3:15 calls you a murderer. And guess what kind of sinner it tells us does not have eternal life residing in them.