I find it a bit disconcerting that we needed a headline to reassure students that professors defend the stance on the church’s endorsement of a gay rights ordinance in Salt Lake. I’m very glad that the church made this position, not because I think it will change the perspective of non-members (who I doubt will have their minds changed unless we were to reverse our position on gay marriage), but because I hope that the stance the Church has taken will remind LDS people of Gordon B. Hinckley’s words when he said, “Our opposition to attempts to legalize same-sex marriage should never be interpreted as justification for hatred, intolerance, or abuse of those who profess homosexual tendencies” (Ensign, Nov. 1999, 52).

Too often, I have heard students on campus use derogatory phrases like “that’s so gay,” or refer to a guy as “a homo” if he shows emotion or does something stupid. These may not seem like a big deal, but they can be very hurtful and showcase the insensitivity that people accuse LDS people of having toward gays. I would urge my classmates to remember that the Lord and his apostles will not accept this sort of cruel behavior.

Chelsea Gibbs
Mamaroneck, N.Y