“I think that gay marriage is going to happen. It must. We are not actually equal — humanity — if we are not allowed to freely love one another. What the Pope thinks of being gay does not matter to the world. It matters to the people who like the Pope and follow the Pope. It is not a reflection of all religious people.”

— Lady Gaga, who is Catholic, responding in a radio interview to Pope Benedict XVI’s recent comments against gay marriage. (Fox News, Sept. 25)

“For that kid with a jersey hanging on his wall, if their favorite player comes out and says it’s OK to be gay, that will mean so much to that kid.”

— Former Pittsburgh Pirates owner Kevin McClatchy, after coming out publicly Sept. 22 at age 49; he is chair of  The McClatchy Company, the nation’s third-largest media chain. (Miami Herald, Sept. 24)

“Ewww! Gay guys are the horniest people in the world. They’re disgusting. Dude, most of them probably have AIDS.”

— Celebrity Paris Hilton, in a conversation with friends that was recorded and leaked to the media. (E! Online, Sept. 24)

“This issue is not — nor has it ever been about — whether a particular organization supports marriage equality. It is about the fact that Dan Cathy’s personal views are leading to corporate dollars being used to prop up groups that demonize and spread malicious falsehoods about LGBT people.”

—  The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT political group, summing up the furor after Chick-fil-A appeared to back away from anti-gay giving, then was revealed to be requesting donations directly for the Marriage & Family Foundation. (HRC, Sept. 20)

Top photo: Musician Lady Gaga (via Facebook)