New Episcopal Bishop Bans Same-Sex Weddings in Dallas

The new bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, Texas, is apparently blocking same-sex marriages despite church policy, according to the Dallas Observer.

Activists say Bishop George Sumner is banning weddings of same-sex couples and telling them to get married in Fort Worth, denouncing what they're calling his "I-30 plan." Interstate 30 connects Dallas and Fort Worth.

Sumner has previously endorsed reparative or "ex-gay" therapy, notes the Observer. The diocese did not issue a comment to the paper on the "I-30 plan" or Sumner's views.

Churchgoers and others staged a protest wearing rainbow armbands last month to show support for LGBT members, according to Dallas Episcopalians for Unity. The diocese has reportedly refused to set up a meeting to settle the standoff.

The national Episcopal church voted in July to allow same-sex marriages, but individual clergymembers are allowed to refuse to perform these weddings or ban them outright in their dioceses.