1.  So it turns out that there are people out there who aren't happy if you call folks like Francis Beckwith, who think their religion excuses their bigotry towards gay men and women, "bigots."  One such person is Chris Shears (no idea who he is), who sent me the following enlightening missive:

 Chris Shears [mailto:onandontillthebreakadawn@gmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2009 4:07 PM
> To: Leiter, Brian
> Subject: Your a hypocrite and a bigot.
>
> I've been reading your law and philosophy reports for years but I'm
> tired of your bigotry towards the positions of those you call bigots
> so I'm done reading your blogs.  I can get 99% of what you offer
> elsewhere.  In the unlikely event that your thoughtful and sensitive
> of others, specifically your readers, view of you I thought I should
> let you know.  If not then carry on with your unhappy, arrogant self.

I suggested to Mr. Shears that a moral objection to bigotry was not properly characterized as itself an instance of "bigotry," but he did not handle that suggestion well.  Alas. 

2.  Via Professor Hermes, I learn that the 'counterpetition' is the creation of Edward Feser, whom we encountered long ago, after this remarkably unhinged screed.  He is also the author of this book (which seems to be in the same nonsensical genre as this one, i.e., "black is white" and "war is peace" and "squares are round").  His webpage does assure us, however, that The National Review deems him one of "the best contemporary writers about philosophy."  One can be sure that is a judgment on the merits of his writing, and not on his ideology.

3.  The signatories to the "counterpetition" include three faculty from Texas (Daniel Bonevac, J. Budziszewski, Robert Koons), three from Notre Dame (John Finnis, Alasdair MacIntyre, Alvin Plantinga), as well as Linda Zagzebski (Oklahoma) and Roger Scruton, among other notables.  (Budziszewski is, to be sure, a complete philosophical hack, unlike the others–his main appointment is in Government at Texas.  [Addendum:  someone thought I mentioned Professor Budziszewski's main appointment as evidence that he is a hack, which wasn't at all the claim–my point is that I have friends in the Philosophy Department at Texas who are embarrassed both by this counterpetition and by his showing up as a Phil Dept signatory–I just wanted to make clear that the UT Department is not, as it were, infested with these 'counterpetition' folks.  The evidence that Professor Budziszewski is a philosophical hack is his work.]) One "anonymous" signatory to the counterpetition probably makes what is perhaps the strongest point on its behalf (stronger certainly than the petition's own statement which, as others have noted, is pretty thin, intellectually and otherwise):

Do we really want the APA to push out all the conservative religious educators at a time when there are only 23 jobs listed in the latest JFP? The relationship between individual sexual freedom and freedom of religious belief is very complex and we should not attempt to squelch all disagreement on the topic through schismatic APA policies.

The APA, however, has already adopted a "schismatic" policy, namely, one prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the original petition simply calls for enforcement of the policy or its explicit repeal.   Academic freedom would continue to protect the right of philosophers to debate the issue and to disagree about it.   And all of this is quite independent, as Ralph Wedgwood, among others, noted on an earlier thread, of whether or not principles of religious liberty and freedom of association require us to tolerate the existence of institutions committed to religious traditions that sanction bigotry and pernicious discrimination. No one, and certainly not the petition, has challenged that point.