Opponents in political debate often accuse each other of harboring a “phobia.” This allows weak thinkers to avoid the trouble of making a coherent and substantive argument. They can brush aside contrary opinions as being held due to ignorance and fear, thus dismissing the other guy as stupid and bigoted.

The accusation of “homophobia” proved highly effective a generation ago, and it had the merit of containing some truth, for among opponents of gay marriage there were some motivated less by principle than by gut reaction — a primeval squeamishness.