The Episcopal Church voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to allow religious weddings for gay couples.
It’s the latest development for a liberal Christian denomination that has embraced gay rights for over a decade.
The change should please the four Episcopalians in the U.S. Senate — all of whom are Democrats supporting marriage equality — but there likely will be mixed reactions in the House of Representatives, where 17 of the 31 members of the Episcopal Church are Republicans opposed to same-sex unions.
Here are the 17 representatives who probably aren’t thrilled by Wednesday’s vote:
Mark Sanford of South Carolina:
Tom Rice of South Carolina:
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Notably, one Episcopalian in the House is among the few Republican members of Congress who back gay marriage: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida.
High-profile House Democrats in the Episcopal Church include Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Louise Slaughter of New York. (Source: “Religions of our representatives,” the Washington Post)
