Monte,   Rereading your essay I remembered  you wrote:  "... to do something that is generally believed to be immoral, simply on the basis of tradition."  

The great divide between the two opinions is well captured by the sentiments expressed in your sentence.  The misunderstandings encapsulated by your words are exactly why 'the issue will not go away'. 

Opponents of WO are not clinging to tradition,  they are defending the vital hermeneutical cornerstone of  FB#1. At least as they  see it, this is the only source of moral knowledge. 

Proponents of WO are attacking something they see as immoral,  to use your words.  No interpretation of scripture is legitimate if it leads to immoral actions. 

Neither side can imagine the possibility that equality itself is amoral nor conclude the Bible is not  authoritative to the question.

The issue won't go away, because we don't even know how to talk to each other about it.