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PHOENIX - Republican gubernatorial hopeful Len Munsil said Thursday he acted correctly two decades ago when he used his position as editor of the ASU State Press to refuse to run meeting notices for gay and lesbian groups.

But he said that some of the words he used then - and more recently as president of the Center for Arizona Policy - in attacking what he still believes is the "homosexual agenda" may have been "inappropriate."

Munsil, as editor of the campus newspaper in 1985, decided he would not publish notices of meetings of any campus gay organization.

In a column at the time, Munsil said he was not motivated by prejudice or malice but instead by "compassion for an unfortunate group that has been led astray by society." And Munsil said publishing a gay organization's meeting notices would make him complicit to "the ultimate self-destruction of its members' bodies and souls."

Responding to questions on Thursday, Munsil said he believes gays and lesbians are entitled to the same rights as everyone else.

"But you of all people, and the press should understand the right of a journalist and an editor to make decisions based on the First Amendment,'' he said. "There were no other (campus) organizations that were based on sexual behavior."

As to his writings, Munsil said that "in younger days, I probably used rhetoric that was inappropriate and possibly offensive."

He acknowledged, though, that his statements that may inflame others did not end with his college graduation but continued during the 10 years he headed the Center for Arizona Policy which defines its mission as "restoring traditional moral principles to the public policy and cultural arenas.

Munsil said that in leading that group "you're trying to move public opinion, you're trying to persuade."

"And perhaps I was a little more bombastic than I should have been."

Munsil, however, said his values are "consistent with most of the people of Arizona.''

Other Republicans seeking the party nomination include Don Goldwater, Jan Smith-Florez, Mike Harris and Gary Tupper.