by Rex Wockner - SGN Contributing Writer

Episcopal Church consecrates another Gay bishop
Although the 2003 consecration of openly Gay and partnered New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson still threatens to implode the worldwide Anglican Communion, the U.S. Episcopal Church consecrated a second openly Gay and partnered bishop on May 15.

The Diocese of Los Angeles elevated the Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool to the position of suffragan bishop in a ceremony at the Long Beach Arena that was disrupted by two anti-Gay protesters.

"The world's transformed only if we turn to each and every one of our brothers and sisters and see the face of Christ superimposed on them," said co-consecrator Bishop Jon Bruno of Los Angeles.

There are about 70,000 Episcopalians in the six-county Diocese of Los Angeles.

Sixty percent of Iowa Gay marriages between non-Iowans
There have been 2,020 same-sex marriages in Iowa since the state Supreme Court legalized Gay marriage starting April 27, 2009 - but only 815 of the marriages involved couples from Iowa.

The other 1,205 same-sex marriages were between people who traveled to the state to tie the knot, including 199 couples from Illinois, 158 from Missouri, 111 from Nebraska, 109 from Minnesota and 67 from Kansas.

The figures, released by the Iowa Department of Public Health on May 18, are complete through March 31.

In addition, among the 19,904 couples who married in Iowa during the period in question, there are 1,015 couples whose sex was not recorded in official records.

More Lesbians than Gay men got married - 1,292 couples vs. 728.

The largest number of Gay marriages occurred in the counties that are home to Des Moines, Davenport, Iowa City, and Council Bluffs.

Same-sex marriage is legal in Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Mexico City, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.

Gay activists arrested at U.S. senator's Chicago office
Thirteen Gay activists were arrested at a sit-in at the Chicago office of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin on May 20.

The ad hoc group claimed Durbin has failed to affirm "his commitment to a Transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act."

Instead, Durbin, who is an ENDA co-sponsor, e-mailed the activists a "form letter" saying he supports prohibition of "employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation," they said.

A version of ENDA that bans job discrimination based only on sexual orientation might pass Congress more easily than one that bans both sexual-orientation and gender-identity discrimination.

But, unlike in some previous years, all key LGBT activists - as well as Congress' Gay members - now oppose the notion of upping the bill's chances of success by aiming for Gay protections first and then attempting Transgender protections later.

"We have to be here to fight for those who are forced to remain invisible and deny who they are just to make a living," said Lindsey Dietzler, who was among those arrested.

The protesters were cited and released.

On their website, titled "Chicago Harvey Milk Week of Action," the activists said: "Although we're very glad our senator has co-sponsored the bill, we have seen him do precious little else to support it. As the majority whip of the Senate, the second-highest-ranking democrat in the Senate, we need Senator Durbin to stand before the media and his colleagues and forcefully advocate for this bill's immediate passage."

With assistance from Bill Kelley

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