Gay Alumni Letter Rocks Christian College

Some 31 gay and lesbian alumni published an open letter in the Westmont College newspaper that spoke of the "doubt, loneliness and fear" they experienced at the antigay Christian institution.

The Los Angeles Times reports on the letter published earlier this month and its aftermath.

"More than 100 fellow alumni signed on in support, and last week, 50 of Westmont's 92 faculty members responded to them in a sympathetic letter seeking 'forgiveness for ways we might have added to your pain,'" according to the Times.

Incoming students at the campus in Montecito near Santa Barbara are required to sign a campus code that forbids "homosexual practice." However, a university administrator said that in her 22 years of service, the school had not expelled anyone for being gay.

While the letter has sparked a campus conversation, few expect the antigay policy to change anytime soon, the Times reports.