It was inevitable. Resolutions passed at General Convention this past summer affirmed the canonical process for ordination of priests and deacons, and elections of bishops. Namely, our canons (laws) do not discriminate against sexual orientation. In other words, sexual orientation does not preclude ordination to the diaconate, priesthood, or election, and consecration to the episcopacy.

That reaffirmation for many of us was nothing more than a statement of reality. But it also seemed to affirm the possibility that gays and lesbians might be elected to the episcopacy. For conservatives, that seemed to suggest that the decisions of General Convention in 2006 were being abrogated. In fact, the hotly disputed resolution that was finally passed on 2006, only urged that bishops and standing committees exercise restraint in consenting to the election of a gay or lesbian bishop.

Yesterday, the Diocese of LA elected an openly lesbian, partnered woman to be suffragan bishop. This has again brought the Episcopal Church into the news, aroused the ire of conservative Episcopalians, and led to much confused thinking. We will see whether the bishop-elect receives the necessary consents from standing committees and bishops. That is not a foregone conclusion by any means. You can read about the election and its aftermath in all of the usual places.

While this is going on, Uganda is debating a bill that would punish gays and lesbians with the death penalty. The Anglican Church of Uganda has thrown itself behind the bill, and today, we’ve learned that a Ugandan Anglican priest has equated gays and cockroaches. The Episcopal Church has made its views known on this issue and it is said that the Archishop of Canterbury is furiously working behind the scenes to soften the legislation. At the same time, some of those most actively involved in crafting and pushing the legislation are supported by American Evangelicals.

There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth about the “impaired” communion created by actions of the American and Canadian Anglican churches. I, for one, don’t want to be part of a communion in which a member church supports capital punishment for gays and lesbians. Let’s be done with it already.