LGBTQ people are people whom God loves. They are people that Jesus the Christ died to save. I am a morally conservative Christian who recognizes that I live in a changing culture. It would be wrong to try to legislate my own moral standards. Even more to the point, people who have different beliefs than I do are human beings with every bit as many human rights as I do including rights to the same level of medical care. Any change in the Affordable Care Act that would negatively impact LGBTQ people is therefore unconstitutional and morally repugnant. Please immediately drop any and all efforts to amend Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.  -Timothy W., Wilmington VA

For 20 years I worked as an evangelical pastor preaching a message of love. I must confess that the love we demonstrated was not unconditional and was not a love that embraced the LGBTQ community or others that didn't embrace our particular kind of faith and morality. 

My mind began to change while serving as the executive director of a large homeless shelter, where I was exposed to the most vulnerable people in our nation: those living on the streets with mental illness, physical illness and/or addiction. Many of these precious souls were members of the LGBTQ community, including teens who were kicked out of their homes by religiously motivated parents. It was so disturbing to watch and my mind and heart changed. 

And then, four years ago, one of my children came out to me as being a member of the queer community. To think that in America she could be denied health care, housing and employment is unconscionable. We can and must do better. We cannot allow the small-mindedness of some people to negatively impact the healthcare available to the millions of Americans who are part of this community.  -Chris Mullett, Bridgeport WV