It doesn't appear he understands the sensitivity to gay and lesbian students when a word like that is used.

I just don't think he understands how dehumanizing his comments were to gay and lesbian people and how hurtful they were to gay and lesbian students. This is the best we're going to get from Tom Lynch. It's more of an explanation than an apology.

But it really leads us to believe he doesn't understand the sensitivity of minority groups, especially the gay and lesbian community. At least with this explanation, we can put the matter to rest.

Once this law takes effect, gay and lesbian couples legally partnered anywhere in the world will have domestic partnerships, civil unions, or marriages recognized automatically.

We also hope to send out a clear message to gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender students that God loves them as they are. Today, it's gay and lesbian people who are the outcasts of the church, and later the church will have to repent from it.

And let's not make any mistake, or gloss over that fact: Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are at risk every day of their lives. Not only are we the group most at risk of violence, we are most at risk of job discrimination, losing our families; homophobia retains its title as the last socially acceptable form of bigotry.