Land of MILK and Honey

I have noticed over the past ten years or so the rising popularity of "Gluten Free". It seems like everywhere you go you can find gluten free this or that, and if you work in a kitchen- oh the dread when a customer comes in and can't have gluten! Trust me, you don't want to know the things that come out of cooks mouths about beloved customers.
I understand that people with gluten allergies a.k.a. celiacs, risk serious problems if they consume wheat gluten, and yes, I understand that wheat is in all kinds of things that most wouldn't expect, like soy sauce for instance. What I don't understand is this,- Why is it that these folks get all the glory? Why is everyone catering to the gluten-free needs? It's rather irritating for someone like myself who has been unable to consume milk products for pretty much his entire life without experiencing some really adverse effects (for myself as well as anyone near by). Yes I know-"they have pills for that.", or "try soy milk or rice milk or almond milk." First of all, those pills are expensive especially when you need to down 4-6 for an ice cream cone or a single glass of milk, and sometimes they still aren't that effective. As for the milk "substitutes", 1. They definitely should NOT have MILK appear anywhere in their names, considering that they do not taste, feel or behave (in cooking) anything like milk. I mean come on, do you really think that veggie burgers remotely resemble hamburger?(vegetarians need not answer that) It's the same concept.
I would simply like to see at least a small act of consideration from the public on behalf of myself and my brother and sister "Lac-tards"(I coined that term myself, I'm soo p.c.). I'd like to go out to eat with my wife (ironically allergic to milk- completely different) and be able to order nearly anything off a menu or even better, have at least one damn option on a dessert menu to choose.
I mean c'mon! We have two freakin culinary schools in this town and waaay too many restaurants and no one can come up with an original dessert idea that doesn't include a pound of butter and a quart of milk or cream?! I understand that the culinary originality is scarce in this city and all the restaurants a selling their version of the same ten items but please, can we at least get a little effort? I know that I can always go to the health food places or vegetarian/vegan restaurants and bakeries, but I have yet to experience something truly comparable from those places. I know, nothing is the same as butter or milk, and god knows that I love heavy cream, but there are tons of options for the sweet tooth out there, hell, most grow on trees and require far less labor than milk, but I'm rambling off the subject a bit.
Simply put, it would be nice to go out to eat or even go to the grocery and not have to seriously examine every damn thing I buy for dairy products, especially in places it shouldn't be (smoked sausage for example). It would be nice to have more choices for dessert at restaurants, you want me to spend more money at your place, then offer something I can actually eat. Until that happens, I guess I'll stick with corn.
-g