Often there is one side that argues in favour of laws that would restrict people's lives and particularly their daily lives. Which is that?

Only one political party is known to present the bare minimum political support required for acceptance of anybody who isn't heterosexual; or, as is frequently the case, they are required to support restrictions and oppose the same basic rights that every straight person has, for anybody not heterosexual.

Naturally, that would be the Republican party.

Now, that is but one issue. But it's blindingly obvious which side you ought to stand on, for a wide range of reasons; chief of which is why the fuck would anybody care about the private lives of other people? It doesn't affect anybody. Being gay never hurt anybody. Another major reason: should children have to fear their own parents, for factors beyond their control? Obviously no.

Now, even with that there are still a wide range of other issues in the USA. One can well argue for that socioeconomic issues are discussed far too little, because they are. They affect absolutely everybody. Socioeconomic mobility is an issue which, if great progress is made, would contribute to solving a variety of other issues. Affirmative Action would be less needed. Less poverty means less crime in general for so many reasons, like education and increased opportunity cost of crime.

But you know what stands at the root of all that? Participating in the political process. Getting policies passed.

If it means participating in a garbage system, so be it. As bleak as your outlook may be, to change the terrible US electoral systems, remember that various huge changes started small, as grassroot movements and growing sentiments and changes in the general public's perspective. And the general public is simply required to organize and inform themselves. E.g. women's right to vote. Ending the Vietnam war. The contemporary growth of US worker unions that collectively quit or bargain for better conditions/wages.

Some US cities/states have, quite notably, managed to abolish first-past-the-post, which is at the heart of so many systemic problems in the US political process.