In a nutshell: In 2004, Gene Robinson became the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. His retirement from the bishopric provides an opportunity for teachers to explore his faith-based advocacy for same-sex marriage.
In 2004, Gene Robinson became the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church. 
Earlier this year, Robinson retired to work on issues of faith and gay rights at the Center for American Progress, a progressive research and policy organization. Last fall, Robinson published God Believes in Love: Straight Talk about Gay Marriage. On NPR’s Fresh Air, Robinson reflects on his time as the first openly gay Episcopal bishop and discusses his new book. The show was broadcast on Monday, January 14.
Gene Robinson’s retirement from the bishopric provides an opportunity for teachers to explore his faith-based advocacy for same-sex marriage. Students can listen to the interview on Fresh Air and read excerpts from Robinson’s book. Teachers can place Robinson’s career as an openly gay Episcopal bishop in the context of the stigma historically associated with homosexuality and the history of the modern gay rights movement. Armed with these background materials and information, students can discuss Robinson’s ideas about same-sex marriage and its place within a faith-based life and within the life of faith-based organizations, as well as explore their own ideas about sexuality, social acceptance, and legal rights of sexual minorities.