"Homosexuals are sexual predators"

While most Americans celebrated the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Bill James, a County Commissioner in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, used it as an opportunity to bash LGBT people.

“Homosexuals are sexual predators,” James wrote. “Allowing homosexuals to serve in the U.S. military with the endorsement of the Mecklenburg County Commission ignores a host of serious problems related to maintaining U.S. military readiness and effectiveness, not the least of which is the current Democrat plan to allow homosexuals (male and female) to share showers with those they are attracted to.”

It’s not the first time Commissioner James has used his spot on the County Board to promote anti-gay bigotry.  During debate over a domestic partnership bill, Commissioner James called homosexuality a “crime against nature” that should be prosecuted by police.

And last year, Commissioner James turned to a colleague whose son died from complications from AIDS, and called the son “a homo.” He then compared homosexuality to alcoholism, and argued that all gay people bring AIDS on themselves.

We can’t let this kind of hate speech by public officials go unanswered – and we have a chance in the next few days to do something about it.

Right now, the rest of the county commission is publicly debating whether to censure James. Condemnation by the commission would send a strong signal that bigotry by elected officers holds no place in our society.

Thousands of people from Mecklenburg and around the country already speaking out. Join them by signing the petition to the Mecklenburg County Board and tell them to censure James for his anti-gay attacks:

http://www.change.org/petitions/view/tell_mecklenburg_county_board_censure_anti-gay_politician_who_called_lgbt_people_sexual_predators?alert_id=uezSJFIOjS_whXWZpAbpb&me=aa