...when somebody says something derogatory about someone because of their membership in a group that is delineated by its collective beliefs: it's bigotry? Do Democrats, liberals, and/or "leftists" get protection from this too? Around here????

As far as the "left coast" is concerned I can assure you that the environment that the author describes does not exist. Around here, people are generally reticent to talk politics at all. I have no idea what party most of my co-workers belong to, and it never comes up. No one ever has made a "Republicans are assholes"-like comment in my earshot. At work or socially either.

On the other hand it's clear that politics drives some people nuts.