Mary Glasspool, the First Lesbian U.S. Bishop

by Michael Jones · 2009-12-05 20:16:00 UTC
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Mary GlasspoolThe Episcopal Church makes history again. Back in 2003, it was the ordination of openly gay Bishop Eugene Robinson that sent waves through the religious world. Now, six years later, the Episcopal Church will welcome its first lesbian ordained bishop with Rev. Mary Glasspool in Los Angeles.

Rev. Glasspool, currently an Episcopalian priest in Maryland, was elected bishop over the weekend. She'll become one of two auxiliary bishops for the Los Angeles diocese, joining Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce, who was elected on Friday. The two will become the first women bishops of the entire diocese.

That's quite the feat for Glasspool, who broke two rather large glass ceilings in becoming bishop. Her mission now? Same as it ever was: combatting racism, fighting for gender equity, calling for the inclusion of LGBT people in the Church, and being a leader and pastoral role model for thousands of Episcopalians.

In her letter submitted to the Los Angeles diocese for her candidacy, Glasspool wrote that what guides her spiritual work is the fear that silence will lead to injustice.

"I have been touched and changed the most by issues of gender equity and the status of gay and lesbian people in the church and society," Rev. Glasspool wrote. "Yet I am not a 'single issue' person, and I preach passionately about peace-making, reconciliation, the need to battle the evils of racism, and overcome extreme poverty."

Sounds like the type of spiritual leader we all could use. And kudos to the Episcopal Church, which just a few months after lifting their pause on ordaining LGBT bishops, has made history again.

(Photo courtesy of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.)

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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