The typical response from those deluded by the spell of christianity is that they "hate the sin, not the sinner." However, this semantic argument doesn't follow since the results of their "hatred" is the same: the oppression of someone who isn't like them.
The more complicated version is that culture groups, particularly religions, need an "other" that they can use to unify their membership against a common enemy or noble cause. Homosexuality presents an easy target since the majority of their membership is heterosexual and finds the idea of sex with the same sex revolting; their religious mythology has a few convenient passages regarding homosexuality; and there is an unsubstatiated fear primarily among many of the least educated (though among some of the better educated as well) that homosexuality is something that can be "caught" like the common cold or something that will "catch on" among their kids like bell-bottoms and mullets.
Personally, I'd rather my child grew up to be an adult homosexual rather than sport a mullet or wear bell-bottoms, but then I don't see homosexuality as anything to be feared nor does it repulse me to know that others are only attracted to the same sex.
Most Christians are able to realize that hatred of individuals does not comply with the teachings of their alleged messiah, so they pretend that they are "hating the sin" while loving the sinner. But the results, like I said, are the same. Homosexuals are marginalized, demonized, oppressed, and unfairly criticized by well-meaning Christians who are deluded into thinking that the "war on homosexuality" is key to winning their eternal salvation.
Interstingly enough, their religious mythology says relatively little about homosexuality when compared with other "sins," particularly in the New Testament, which is often reported to be the "new law" laid down by the alleged messiah. It is also interesting that other "sins" that are mentioned as frequently or more than homosexuality in the bible are all but ignored, relatively speaking. Where are the protests and editorials by Christians against adultery, divorce, working on the sabbath, and petty theft.
Each of these "sins" get mentioned by their mythology as being "evil," wrong, or against the commandments of their god. Yet we don't see the Westboro Baptist church holding up signs reading "God hates adulterers." Or divorcees. Or convenience store clerks. We don't see calls for boycotts of sitcoms on television for the reason that it portrays premarital sex in a positive light or that the lead actor has had 3 wives.
The reason may be, perhaps, that the majority of their membership faces these issues every day and, if these issues were to be used to create an "other," membership would decline because they would feel uncomfortable attending services were they are referred to as "abominations of god" or if they are reminded weekly that they are going straight to hell.
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