I don't think understanding "equality," which is a very vague and broad term, addresses the issue that this article outlines. Many people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender/identity expression, understand and support social equality in many different ways.

Our decision to reprint Campus Pride's press release focused
on a particular concern: that LGBT students may have a very different understanding of their own safety and feelings of inclusion/exclusion than the entire campus population's perceptions of LGBT inclusiveness. It is certainly important when straight people take pride in, and stand up for, safe environments for LGBT students, but many people might miss the discrimination and harassment that LGBT students often face if they do not directly experience it themselves.

Since the Princeton Review's rankings were based on a single question in their survey (Agree/disagree: "Students, faculty, and administrators treat all persons equally regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity/expression"), Campus Pride felt that this methodology was insufficient to accurately assess whether or not LGBT students felt like they are being treated fairly and securely at these schools. As is often the case, much more goes into creating safe environments for LGBT students–comprehensive anti-discrimination policies, student support/counseling services, and supportive student organizations, for instance–that the Princeton Review did not specifically incorporate into its findings.

GLSEN, which is not affiliated with Campus Pride, focuses its research on middle and high schools rather than colleges, but its findings are nevertheless significant. In its 2007 National School Climate Survey, GLSEN found that 61% of LGBT students from grades 6-12 felt unsafe at school and 86% had been verbally harassed at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation. Middle and high schools are not the same as colleges, but these disturbingly high numbers suggest there is a lot of discrimination that LGBT students face that flies under the radar of their peers and faculty members.

Of course, I do not mean to say that straight people are incapable of understanding and supporting equality for LGBT people. GLSEN provides guidance and resources to help students form Gay-Straight Alliances, which welcome straight students to advocate for equality for LGBT students. I do think it is important, however, to consider how LGBT students may be subject to many negative experiences due to their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression, which many of their straight classmates might not even be aware of.