First Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop Divorces Husband

Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Bishop of the Episcopal church, publicly announced he is divorcing his husband, Mark Andrew, on May 3.

The couple had been married since 2010, when New Hampshire legalized gay marriage. The union created an international uproar, and many Episcopalians broke away from the main church.

"As you can imagine, this is a difficult time for us - not a decision entered into lightly or without much counseling," Robinson wrote in a letter to the Diocese of New Hampshire. "We ask for your prayers, that the love and care for each other that has characterized our relationship for a quarter century will continue in the difficult days ahead."

The retired bishop left his wife and two children when he openly declared he was gay in 1986. He entered into a civil union with Andrew in 2008.

In 2012, the Episcopal Church voted to allow bishops to permit priests to bless same-sex marriages.

Robinson, 66, is currently a fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C.