As ***Dave notes, it’s getting more than a tad embarrassing at how we in the US are behind other nations when it comes to our tolerance (or lack thereof) for gay marriage and other forms of civil union.

The article also notes that the Church of England “provoked fury among traditionalist Anglicans worldwide by allowing gay priests to register their civil partnerships, as long as they remain celibate.” So that’s at least a step in the right direction (in my opinion), and although I wish they hadn’t put the celibacy restriction in. Frankly, though, who is going to go to the trouble to register a civil partnership and then remain celibate? With any luck, it’s going to become one of those quiet little not-so-secret secrets about Father Julian and his nice mate Trev that nobody bothers about in the village parish.

And then maybe it will help the case of my own American version of the Anglican church in dealing with those selfsame traditionalist Anglican critics (who are mostly based in Africa and what’s called the Southern Cone, but appears to be South America and maybe some of south Asia).