The United Methodist Church has elected its first openly gay bishop. Karen Oliveto, a married lesbian and senior pastor of Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, was elected bishop just before church leaders gathered in Chicago this week to discuss issues surrounding sexuality. One of the issues the commission plans to study is the denomination’s ban on the ordination of “self-avowed practicing homosexuals.” Some in the church have condemned Oliveto’s election, noting that the commission has yet to finish its work.