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IMHO humanity's default setting is xenophobia. You don't really have "friends" until you're in kindergarten or later. It's all a part of discovering the greater world that exists beyond the individual, and some people never quite embrace that, which manifests itself in a number of ways. Racism, homophobia, misogyny and nationalism all have roots in it, although it's by no means the only cause.
Perhaps the friend had never been confronted with the realities of homosexuality before and didn't know how to react. Maybe she spends her weekends beating up gay people. I'd let her know that she probably needs to keep her views to herself since not all of her audience appreciates knowing her sentiments. I have some friends who are at least mildly racist, and when the subject comes up, I basically tell them that I think that they're wrong and that I really don't want to have to argue with them. I can't control what anyone else thinks, so I just do my best to live my life the best way I know how.
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