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The Bishop's Bittersweet Day

It was a happy day when Bishop V. Gene Robinson celebrated his civil union with his partner, Mark Andrew, but it would have been happier if the Episcopal Church stood behind him.
An Advocate.com exclusive posted June 9, 2008
The Bishop's Bittersweet Day

The Reverend V. Gene Robinson said that he “always wanted to be a June bride.” And this weekend he got hitched. Well, not quite.

In a private ceremony that took place five years to the day from when he was elected as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church, U.S.A., Robinson and his partner of 20 years, Mark Andrew, said “I do”  in a civil union.

But as the news of the Church’s first openly gay, noncelibate priest to be consecrated as bishop reverberated throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion half a decade ago, so too did the news of his civil union.

Robinson wedding program (Monroe) | Advpcate.com

But for those of us who gathered this weekend at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Concord, N.H., we came to do what the celebrant (an officiant, to you non-churchgoing folk) asked of us: “to witness the joining of Gene and Mark in civil union and to do all in our power to support them in their commitment.” 

More than 120 of us were furtively lodged in suggested nearby hotels, where Robinson reserved blocks of rooms we accessed by using the secret code: “Bishop Robinson sent me.” After the service we piled in our cars and drove 14 miles to the historic Canterbury Shaker Village for the reception. Security and media were present but the day went off without a glitch. But when Robinson returns from his honeymoon bliss, two pressing questions await him:

1) Why a June civil union just weeks before Lambeth Conference in July?
2) And, why a religious service following his civil union?

Robinson wedding shoes (Monroe) | Advpcate.com
Robinson's sole patrol

The tumultuous events surrounding the election and consecration of Robinson is the prism through which we see the Episcopal Church’s longtime struggle and history with its LGBTQ community. 

The Lambeth Conference, the once-a-decade gathering of archbishops and bishops united in Anglican brotherhood, has functioned as the Church’s only white and only male club of heterosexual power brokers. The Conference has ignored without moral compunction its LGBTQ parishioners, and until recently the Anglican Communion’s Global South -- comprised mostly of Third World countries in Africa, South America, and Asia.

Robinson ring bearer Irene groom (Monroe) | Advpcate.com
The Reverend with Andrew (right) and guest

And Robinson said so in the Concord Monitor in November 2007: "I think [that] for a long time white men have ruled the world. With the emergence of people of color, the emergence of the women's movement, with the emergence of gay and lesbian folk standing up . . . I think it's a threat to the way things have always been with white men being in charge."

Page: 1 | 2
The Massachusetts-based Monroe is a frequent contributor to Advocate.com. All photos by Reverend Irene Monroe.
Keywords:  Gene Robinson 
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Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Paul Henry
    Date posted: 2008-06-26 11:00 AM
    Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

    Comment:

    Wonderful reading about Bishop Gene & Mark's big day. Gene has kept his head and heart in the right place. His grace and inspiration have made this once "invisible to my Roman Catholic church" gay man actually go back to church: the Episcopal. With all its controversies and faults, it is light years ahead for women and its GLBT members, and in no small measure because of Bishop Gene.


  • Name: Bob Van Keuren
    Date posted: 2008-06-10 11:45 PM
    Hometown: Atlanta GA

    Comment:

    Bishop Gene has said more than once that, insufficient as a civil union might be, it will provide legal protections for his partner Mark in the event something happens to him. And he IS going to Lambeth, albeit in an unofficial capacity, where he will once again subject himself to that danger. He is doing so to provide a witness to the Anglican Communion. I am very proud of him and privileged to know him (well, slightly, but that counts) and consider his witness a powerful inspiration for my life and for many others. Also, we need to make occasions to celebrate, whether others agree or not. And didn't Gene and Mark look spiffy in their bow ties?


  • Name: Dennis
    Date posted: 2008-06-10 6:40 PM
    Hometown: LA, CA

    Comment:

    Observing the controversies over women and gay bishops in the Episcopalian Church over the years, I concluded long ago that the progressives who form the majority are far too tolerant and deferential to the conservatives. Anglicans as a whole appear to benefit much more from the Episcopal branch, especially on financial matters, than the reverse. And this is especially true of the communion's Global South which includes some of the most aggressively and maliciously conservative prelates, such as Nigeria's Archbishop Akinola. The only thing holding back further progress in the Episcopalian branch is its loyalty to the Anglican communion, which doesn't deserve that loyalty. It's time to send the larger church an ultimatum - either accept women and gay bishops unconditionally or lose the Episcopal Church.


  • Name: AngryMichigander2008
    Date posted: 2008-06-10 4:09 PM
    Hometown: Orange, TX

    Comment:

    Thank you for a great article. Gene had already been told he would not be seated in any capacity at the Lambeth Conference - so why not go ahead and have his civil union? I actually think it makes a bold statement to the Anglican Church at large that despite their portestations, he and Mark were legally able to do this. The tragedy in answering the second question he faces - God blesses this union - it's sad that the Episocpal church does not.


  • Name: James
    Date posted: 2008-06-10 3:08 PM
    Hometown: Templeton

    Comment:

    Great article and I thank you for it. Also, thanks for the best photo of the shoes I've seen!


  • Name: Bessica
    Date posted: 2008-06-10 12:05 AM
    Hometown: New Jersey

    Comment:

    As I know, it's very hard to be openly gay, lesbian or bisexual. So I think for GLBT, they'd better find some online community or something like that, to come out first, where they may feel support, happy, free. Actually, they are usually under great pressure. If they don't find some place to release themselves, they may live very hard. I think the one BisexualMingle is a good place for them. After that, I think they may choose some ppl who they believe very well to come out. Like this, step by step.


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