V. Gene Robinson’s announcement last week that he will step down as New Hampshire’s Episcopal bishop may have shocked his congregants and made waves around the world, but his reasoning is hardly surprising: After seven years of strain caused by the controversy surrounding his elevation as the first openly gay Anglican bishop ”” and a steady stream of death threats aimed at him and his partner ”” the bishop is ready to open a new, less public chapter of life. It was only seven years ago that Robinson stood during his consecration ceremony surrounded by bodyguards, wearing a bulletproof vest. While many were hailing Robinson as a civil-rights trailblazer, those safety measures stood as a reminder of the everyday sacrifices required of such pioneers.
