Since September 2007, there have been 14 ignorant hate or bias-related crimes or incidents reported at the University of San Diego. The majority of incidents have included the defacement of personal property, or the defacement of material posted by the campus’ Pride Alliance. In more than one case, the words “perverts” and “sickos” were scrawled on the Pride organization’s flyers.

The incidents, we’re told, were reported largely in first-year residence halls.

Wednesday, the University’s United Front Multicultural Center hosted a candlelight vigil to honor victims of hate crimes/incidents, and, in part, honor Lawrence King, a gay-identified 15-year-old Oxnard, Calif. boy gunned down by a classmate earlier this year. In a television segment following King’s murder, Ellen DeGeneres addressed the incident, and the young killer, saying, “When the message out there is so horrible, that to be gay you can get killed for it, we need to change the message.”

It seems the message at the University of San Diego, despite the administration, faculty, staff, students and alumni’s best efforts, is still this: it is not OK to be gay.

Private Christian universities can be homogenous environments with any fringe population at risk of discrimination.

It is ironic, though, for two reasons students at the Catholic university are vocalizing disdain for any segment of the campus population.

First, the Roman Catholic Church today faces a global crisis for thousands of child sex-abuse claims, and the U.S. Catholic Church has paid more than $2 billion to sex-abuse victims. My suggestion to students: worry less about your vocal gay peers on campus, and more about the closet-case clergy. Just a suggestion …

Chiding aside, the second point, which is arguable, is this: the overarching themes of the Bible are love and grace.

I was fortunate to be raised in a fairly liberal, Catholic family, and I attended a fairly liberal Christian university. I was required to enroll in Old and New Testament courses, as well as a course in Christian tradition. My Old and New Testament professor, who later identified as gay, was adamant in teaching what he said were two of the core principles of Christianity: love and grace. That was the message conveyed to myself and my peers.

I’m often asked about the climate for gay students at my alma mater. I heard my fair share of hate language, though I was not aware of any hate or bias-related crimes or incidents. Truth be told, there were students and professors on campus who addressed “homosexuality” with the kind of tone that incited shame, guilt and fear. There were as many, if not more, however, who were progressive and open minded; who created a tolerant, safe environment for all students. The latter seems to be true, too, of USD.

It seems the public safety office and the administrators at USD are supportive of the Pride Alliance and the Rainbow Educators, a GLBT awareness coalition of faculty, staff, students and alumni. The USD Campus Ministry Association and the office of public safety cosponsored the candlelight vigil last night. Safety seems to be the primary concern for all involved.

The key to combating these incidents, however, is mandatory sensitivity/tolerance training for incoming students regarding the diversity found on college campuses today. In other words, the message must be changed.

Many incoming students to private religious universities are raised in conservative families. While the university should respect the students’ beliefs, it is important the university promotes diversity and creates a zero-tolerance policy for ignorant hate or bias-related crime or incidents. Students must understand the magnitude of their actions and be disciplined to the fullest extent.

The Pride Alliance and the Rainbow Educators will only reach a segment of the campus population, the segment that is open to learning to more about the GLBT community. It is up to the university to reach other students.

And for God’s sake, shouldn’t we be asking these students: what would Jesus do?