Thursday, November 08, 2018

Blue wave sweeps vicious North Carolina homophobe out of office

Bill James.
To the rest of the country, former Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bill James is unknown. But to the LGBTQ community in North Carolina, he has been a headache for a long time. According to the LGBTQ newspaper QNotes:

When, in 2009, County Commissioners voted 6-3 to approve same-sex partner benefits for county employees, Commissioner Vilma Leake delivered personal remarks as to why she supported the measure, bringing up her gay son who died from complications of AIDS. James leaned over to her and, over a hot mic, asked, “Your son was a homo, really?” Leake answered back, “Don’t make me hurt you. Don’t do that to me. Don’t talk to me about my son.” James later refused to apologize, comparing homosexuality to alcoholism, and calling Leake a “religious hypocrite.” James’ comments against Leake’s son resulted in then Chair of the Mecklenburg County Commission, and current mayor, Jennifer Roberts, publicly condemning his comments, although without directly naming him.

 When Jennifer Roberts, then County Commissioner Chair, made a request to send a letter thanking some members of the Charlotte area congressional delegation for their “yes” votes on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) repeal, James sent off one of his famous emails, this time saying, “Homosexuals are sexual predators.” He went on, stating, “The US Government would not allow Hetero men and women to share showers and other personal facilities yet the leading homosexual in Congress (Barney Frank) thinks it is OK for homosexuals to do so allowing enlisted men and women to fall prey to higher ranking or more powerful homosexuals who ogle them (or worse).”

(James) is more gay sex obsessed than most gay people – although one study suggests that homophobes may be tormented closet cases, which is interesting, isn’t it?
The best example of James’ gay sex obsession can be found in this 2005 email. Notice that he mistakes felching – the act of sucking one’s own semen out of someone’s anus [note that this is an act that could be committed by a male-female couple just as easily, making it not exclusively a homosexual act…although I imagine it is not terribly popular in either the gay or straight communities] – with gerbiling – the most likely completely urban myth act of sticking a gerbil up one’s own anus. He also apparently thinks this is something that the gay community is into, in spite of the fact that it is not actually something the gay community is into.

There is a reason why I called him "former." On Tuesday, after 11 terms in office,  James was finally defeated. He was one of three Republicans who lost their seats in the area due to the "blue wave."

Or as QNotes puts it:

At long, long, long, long last — Bill James has gotten the boot!  . . . So, Bill, I guess that 11 terms was enough for the Queen City and the county. Frankly, one was more than enough for me. Now, our crown can shed its brilliance and polish and truly become a “world class city,” complete with a group of folks who do not let bigotry and bias become the rule of law. We are so much better off for it

2 comments:

Bob said...

Sorry, not sorry.

Frank said...

Not necessarily a blue tidal wave, but plenty of small local victories...and more popping up as close votes and absentee ballots are counted.