As a fundamental denial of human rights, homophobia is as revolting and sickening as homosexuality seems to be to the homophobes who hate gays and lesbians and the transgendered for no other reason than that LGBT’s are who they are. That’s what I e-mailed to Commissioner Bill James (at least the “revolting and sickening” part) earlier today after receiving a long missive from him entitled “A not very merry Christmas surprise.” In his message, James, whom I’ve referred to before as the Generalissimo of local homophobes, bemoans the fact that Democrats on the county commission are putting domestic partner benefits on the commission’s Dec. 15 agenda. Oh, the horrors! The shame! To think that our area may actually catch up to the progressive attitudes of some other North Carolina cities — much less those of most major corporations! Run for the hills!

The bright side of this issue is that Dems on the commission can pass domestic partner benefits over the objections of the James Gang all day long. James and the rest of the sexual McCarthyites in the religious right are relics from an era best left on the trashcan of history.  They’ll never change their minds, and so be it. At this point they’re a small, and shrinking, minority and as such are increasingly irrelevant to anyone but members of their own echo chamber. Thus the reason for their current air of desperation and their loud, non-stop griping about any societal changes that don't benefit straight white men. Kinda funny, isn’t it?

• County Commissioner Bill James