It's best not to think of this movie as a political instrument

This is a character movie, not a manifesto. Too many reactions around here are about how it "proves" this that and the other thing, or how it's racist, or anti-gay, or pro-gay, or anti-black, or anti-whatever. This movie isn't a feature-length campaign commercial for a California ballot initiative.

The director may have started off trying to make a campaign commercial, but that didn't work out.

This movie has tremendous strengths, and some flaws, but it's not advocating anything. It's showing you the lives of a handful of interesting characters. Enjoy that and leave the rest of it at the door.