What Gene Robinson's Divorce Teaches Us About Marriage

Rev. Susan Russell

There is always sadness in the news that a marriage has ended in divorce. Whatever the circumstances, a divorce marks the death of the dream of happily-ever-after and the end of a relationship that was entered into with hope, joy and the intention that it be until-death-do-us-part.

Ironically, news of the impending divorce of Bishop Gene Robinson and his husband Mark Andrew "went public" while my fiancé and I were shopping for rings for our June wedding. And I found myself dealing not only with my own sadness for a couple I know and love, but with reporters calling for comment. Here are some of the questions I got:

1. Does Gene and Mark's divorce "undermine the case for marriage equality?"

No. On the contrary, I think it strengthens it. I think it helps make the point those of us advocating for marriage equality for same-sex couples have been making for many years. And that is simply that our marriages are equal. They are equally blessed and equally challenging. They are equally full of joy and equally full of disappointment. We equally love and cherish each other and we equally hurt and misunderstand each other. And, when a marriage fails, we are equally sad, scared and heartbroken. Just as the values that make up a marriage transcend the gender of the couple in the marriage, so do the challenges. And because all of our marriages are

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