The following e-mail was forwarded to all the Bishops whose names and e-mail addresses are on the General Conference Bishops List.

Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2003 8:57PM

Subject: THe vote about Gene

I did not believe it would come to this.

PLEASE DO allow the development of some sort of blessing of committed same-sex relationships. That symbolism is important and overdue.

However, PLEASE DO NOT consent to the consecration of Gene Robinson as a bishop. Better a suspension of all the rules and tradition and a draft of Louis Crew from the floor than approval of Gene Robinson!

If you knew that a married straight male priest known for big parish leadership and fundraising as well as prophetic theological outspokenness was also a grab-assing skirt-chaser whose improprieties has nearly brought law suits against the church, would you even hesitate to withhold consent for such a priest to be consecrated a bishop in the apostolic succession?

Well, as outstanding as Gene Robinson may have been thus far as a priest and diocesan administrator, my personal experience of him is that he has does not maintain appropriate boundaries with men. I believe this is an alarming weakness of character that alone makes Gene unsuitable for the office of bishop.

When I first encountered Gene at a Province 1 convocation a couple of years ago he put his hands on me inappropriately every time I engaged him in conversation. NO GAY MAN HAS EVER BEHAVED TOWARDS ME THIS WAY -- and I have had over 25 years of associations with gay male colleagues in the Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and San Diego show business communities.

If I were a straight woman reporting heterosexual harassment by a straight male priest, would you hesitate to take the matter seriously? Well, I am a straight man reporting homosexual harassment by a gay male priest from another diocese.

Now I thank you for your prayerful consideration before you vote.

David Lewis