When state Rep. Art Peterson leaves the House at the end of his current term (words that should be sung aloud or shouted from the rooftops, not merely written in digital form), the unofficial title of Worst Person In the Legislature will be up for grabs.

Peterson, shown above in a slightly retouched version of his official picture, has once again figuratively pulled down his drawers and shown his ass to the world in a hateful and unnecessary response to a routine announcement from Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas.

She sent an email last Wednesday to members of the Rutland County delegation announcing that her office would be staffing a table at the Rutland Pride Celebration on Saturday, and inviting the county’s electeds to stop by.

Peterson, being who he is, took this like a rabid bull seeing a rainbow flag in front of his nose. His response, which he cc’d to members of the county delegation:

I wondered if you have been to the Loyalty Day parade in Rutland or any of the Memorial Day observances around Rutland County to register voters. There is also the state high school football championships at schools where people all over the state come to watch games. I’m (sic) other words, are you registering voters at worthwhile events?

Please exclude me from any further emails having to do with homosexual celebrations.

See, the problem with this isn’t the “traditional values” or even the hatred and fear. It’s the clear implication that LGBTQ+ people have no right to exist. They are not “worthwhile,” shouldn’t be encouraged to vote, and have no business being celebrated.

The thing that makes Peterson stand out among his fellow bigots is the utter shamelessness. He believes what he believes and sees no room for any other views. Reminder: He sent that toxic missive to our Secretary of State and the entire Rutland County delegation, Democrats and Republicans alike. He knew it would get out one way or another. And it did, thanks to Democratic Rep. William Notte, who posted Peterson’s timeless prose on his Facebook page, from whence it made its way into the pages of the Rutland Herald.

But hey, this is far from the first time Peterson has displayed his narrow-mindedness for all to see. He naturally opposes the presence of transgender youth in school sports. Could the Republic possibly survive if someone with a… vagina… played in one of his precious football games?

You’ll be unsurprised to learn that Peterson is a big fan of retrograde school mascots, and argued vociferously against the bill meant to consign such things to the dustbin of history.

And of course he opposes the imagined scourge of “racist” critical race theory in public education and the flying of Black Lives Matter flags. Indeed, he denies the existence of systemic racism. Our only problem is the actions of racist individuals, see? There’s no need for social change, not at all.

Peterson has been a ringleader of anti-CRT and BLM activism in the Mill River Unified Union School District, which has caused a lot of trouble and torment for those who are simply interested in managing their kids’ education as best they can.

On top of all this, it must be noted that Peterson’s turn on the Statehouse stage was almost accidental. In 2020 he ousted eight-term Democratic incumbent Dave Potter by only 42 votes. And in 2022 he edged out Potter by a mere seven votes. Potter is running again this year, so if you live in Rutland-2, please get out and vote.

Sadly, I doubt we’ve heard the last of Art Peterson. He is so determinedly noxious that it’d be a real surprise if he disappears quietly. But at least we won’t have to see his ignorance on display in the Statehouse any more.