Wednesday night, students at Mankato State University and community members from Mankato rallied for an end to homophobia as part of “Spirit Day.”

If the rhetoric sounds desperate, that’s because to the people gathered for a vigil at Minnesota State University Wednesday night, the current climate toward gays and lesbians in the U.S. demands it.

Students called the vigil in hopes of letting gays and lesbians know that, at least on this campus, they have a community that supports them. Hopefully, with support, the kind of despair that often accompanies bullying won’t lead to another tragic death.

Even so, according to the Mankato Free Press, it’s still a town that needs safe houses for LGBTA kids who’ve been kicked out of their homes.