A minority orientation can be a gift because it reminds us that uniformity is not God's purpose; it can be a gift because it is a surprise, something not encountered every day (so it becomes a gift to those who encounter it as well as those who live it); it can be a gift because it is a sign to others that what describes most people is not = to normalcy, and that, in fact, looking at it that way deprives everyone of the fullness of the gift--the living out of it or the encountering of it. These are some of the ways in which I think a minority orientation is a gift, including sexual orientation.